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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
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http://www.archive.org/details/dressmaker01butt 



The Dressmaker 

A Complete Book 
on all matters connected with 

Sewing and Dressmaking 

from the simplest stitches to the 

cutting, making, altering, 

mending and caring 

for the clothes. 



"The Dressmaker" is a standard work, and 
the different methods of Dressmaking and 
Tailoring which it presents may be used 
whenever the current styles call for them. 



A New Edition, Revised and Enlarged. 

'The Butterick Publishing Company 
•I 

New York London Paris 






\°< 



i<* 



SECOND EDITION 
PUBLISHED BY 

THE BUTTERICK PUBLISHING COMPANY 

BUTTERICK BUILDING, NEW YORK, 
PARIS LONDON NEW YORK TORONTO 



&l 



(yC 



Copyright, 1911 and 1 9 1 6, by The Butterick Publishing Company 

M Zc 1916 



'CI.A418554 



CONTENTS 



Altering Boys' Patterns SO 

Altering Skirt Patterns 76 

Altering Waist Patterns 71 

Aprons 38 

Arrowhead Tacks 22 

Backstitch 4 

Band Trimmings 30 

Barred Buttonholes 13 

Bar-Tacks 22 

Bastings 3 

Bias Bands 30 

Blanket-Stitch 24 

Blind Loops 15 

Blood-Stains 13S 

Bound Buttonholes 16 

Buys' Suits 128 

Bustle 107 

Butterick Patterns 68 

Buttonholes 13 

Buttons Sewed on 15 

Care of the Clothes 136 

C \tch-Stitch .") 

Chain-Stitch 23 

Chemise Nightgown 4.") 

Children's Clothes 52 

Cleaning Laces 137 

Cleaning Silks 137 

Cleaning Velvet 137 

Cleaning Woolen Goods 137 

Coats and Jackets ll!l 

Combination Garments 44 

Combination Stitch 4 

Cording 33 

Cord Piping 31 

Cord Seam 101 

Corset Covers 44 

Crow's-Foot Tack 23 

Cutting Materials ii4 

Darning .17 

Drawers 4.' 

Dresses, Unlined 07 

Dress-Form (il 

Dressmaking Equipment 60 

Dyeing 134 

Embroidered Edge Facing S 

Embroidered Edge in Tuck - 9 



Embroidered Scallops 25 

Embroidery Inserted 9 

Equipment for Dressmaking .... 60 

Eyelets 15 

Fagot-Stitch 25 

Feather-Stitch 24 

Figured Materials 66 

Flannel Petticoat 3S 

Flat Fell Seam 5 

Folds, Bias 30 

French Knots 25 

French Seam ."i 

French Tacks 109 

Gatherings 8 

Grease Spots 137 

Gusset 7 

Half-Backstitch 4 

Hanging a Circular Skirt 117 

Hanging a Skirt 117 

Hems ii 

Hemstitching 12 

[nfants' Clothes Hi 

Ink Spots i;;s 

Inserting Embroidery <) 

Inserting Lace 10 

Inserting Ruffle in Hem 11 

Iron Rust 138 

Knots, French 25 

Knots, Simple 3 

Lace Inserted 10 

Lapped Seams 103 

Machine-Oil Stains 138 

Maternity Dresses . 98 

Medallion Insets 82 

Mending-Tissue _>o 

Mildew i:j,s 

Mitered Corners 7 

Mitered Trimmings 11 

Nightgowns 45 

Norfolk Jacket, Boys' 131 

Norfolk Jacket, Ladies' 126 

Notches 70 

Open Pocket 106 

Overcasting 4 

Overhanding 4 

Paint Stains 13s 



Patching 19 

Patch Pocket 104 

Patterns 68 

Perforations 69 

Petticoats, Flannel .38 

Petticoats, Lingerie 40 

Piping 32 

Plackets 34 

Plaid Materials 64 

Pockets 104 

Pressing Clothes 61, 136 

Remodeling 134 

Rolled Hem 9, 32 

Round-End Buttonhole ...... 14 

Ruffle Applied under Band .... 11 

Ruffle Inserted in Hem 11 

Ruffle Whipped On 9 

Running Stitches 4 

Russian Blouse Jacket, Boys' .... 130 

Russian Blouse Jacket, Ladies' . . . 126 

Russian Dress, Child's 52 

Sailor or Naval Suits 55 

Scalloped Edge 25 

Seams, Simple 5 

Seams, Tailored 100 

Shirring 26 

Side Pockets 106 



Skirts, Dress 109 

Skirts, Foundation 107 

Sleeve Board 61 

Sleeve Form 62 

Slot Seams 102 

Smocking 27 

Sponging Materials 67 

Square Corners 7 

Stockings, Darned 18 

Stoting 21 

Strap Seams 102 

Tailored Seams 100 

Tailor's Buttonholes 14 

Tailor's Cushion 61 

Tailor's Tacks 22 

Tailor's Tissue 20 

Tucks, Nun 112 

Tucks, Simple ■. 7 

Underskirt, Flannel 38 

Underskirt, Lingerie 40 

Use of Butterick Patterns 68 

Waists, Lined 88 

Waists, Unlined SI 

Welt Pockets 104 

Welt Seams 101 

Whipping on Trimming 9 

Yoke, Hip ." 41 



THL DRESSMAKER 



CHAPTER I 



5LWING STITCHES 

TO MAKE A KNOT, hold the threaded needle in the right hand. Take the end of 
the thread between the thumb and first finger of the left hand, stretching the 
thread tightly. Wind it around the top of the first finger, crossing it over the end 
held between the finger and thumb. Roll the first finger down the ball of the 
thumb about half an inch, carrying the thread with it, and with the second finger push 

the knot thus formed to the end of the 
thread. If a larger knot is required, wind 
the thread around the finger twice. 

BASTINGS are temporary stitches 
used to hold two or more pieces of ma- 
terial together while putting in the perma- 
nent stitches. The thread should be 
smooth and rather fine. Careful ba- 
sting is essential to successful sewing and 
dressmaking. There are four kinds of 
bastings. 

Even Bastings start with a knot on the 
right side so that they may be easily re- 
moved. Pass the needle over and through 
the material, making the stitches and 
spaces the same length. To fasten the 




thread, take two stitches over the last 
one made. (Fig. 1.) 

Uneven Bastings are made by the 
method just described for even bastings, 
except that the stitches and spaces are of 
unequal length. The stitches taken upon 
the needle are about a third shorter than 
the space covered by the thread. (Fig. 2.) 

Combination Bastings are used on 
seams where extra firmness is desired 
for close fitting. They are made by ta- 
king, alternately, one long stitch and two 
short stitches. (Fig. 3.) 

Diagonal Bastings are slanting stitch- 
es used in dressmaking to secure the out- 
side material to its lining, particularly 
where the lining is eased on to the mate- 
rial, as is often the case in waist^making. 
The method is shown in Fig. 4. 




Fig. 3. Combination Bastings 



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Fig. 4. Diagonal Bastings 



4 THE. DRESSMAKER 

RUNNING STITCHES are shorter than bastings. The spaces and stitches are of 
equal length. They are used on seams that do not require the firmness of machine or 

back stitching. (Fig. 5.) 

THE BACKSTITCH is made by ta- 
king up a short stitch back on the upper 
side and a longer one forward on the 
underside of the material, bringing the 
needle out a space in advance. Insert 
the needle to meet the. last stitch, pass- 
ing it under the material and out again 
a space in advance of the last stitch 
taken. (Fig. 6.) Fasten by making two 
or three stitches over the one last made. 
The backstitch is used on seams requir- 
ing strength and firmness. 

THE HALF-BACKSTITCH is made 
in the same manner as the backstitch, 
except that it is taken halfway back 
instead of all the way, leaving a small 
space between each stitch on the right 
side. (Fig. 7.) 




Hair-Backstitch 




Fig. 8. Combination Stitch 



THE COMBINATION STITCH consists of one backstitch and two or more small 
running stitches. It is fastened like the backstitch. Figure 8 shows a combination 
stitch with one backstitch and two run- 
ning stitches. It is used on seams re- 
quiring less strength than the back- 
stitch. 

OVERCASTING is a slanting stitch 
used to keep raw edges from raveling. 
(Fig. 9.) In taking the stitch the needle 
should always point toward the left 
shoulder. Hold the material loosely in 
the left hand. Do not use a knot, but 
turn the end of the thread to the left 
and take the first two stitches over it. 
Make the stitches about one- eighth 
of an inch apart and one-eighth of an 
inch deep. 

Keep the spaces between the stitches 
even and slant all the stitches in the 
same direction. Before overcasting, be 
sure that the edges are trimmed off 
evenly. In overcasting a bias seam, 
begin at the broad part of the piece 
and work toward the narrow part, to 
prevent its raveling while you are 
working on it. 

OVERHANDING, top, or over sew- 
ing, as it is sometimes called, is used to 
join folded edges or selvages. (Fig. 10.) 
Baste the pieces with the folds or sel- 
vages exactly even and sew with close 
stitches over and over the edges, taking 

up as few threads as possible, so that when finished the seam will be smooth and flat 
and not form an awkward ridge or cord on the wrong side of the garment. 




SEWING STITCHES 5 

CATCH-STITCH, sometimes called cat stitch, is a cross stitch used to hold down 
seam edges. It is the preferred finish for the seams of flannel garments, for it does 
away with the clumsiness of a French or felled 
seam, takes the place of overcasting and pre- 
vents raveling. 

Place the edges together and run a seam, 
taking an occasional backstitch. Trim off 
one edge close to the line of sewing and press 
the other edge flatly over it, holding the work 
as shown in Fig. 11. 

Make a knot and insert the needle under 
the edge at the lower left corner, cross the edge 
and take a small stitch a few threads to the 
right . Cn iss back again and insert the needle, 
taking a similar stitch through all the thick- 
nesses of the material. 

Always point the needle to the left and make the 
cross stitches encase the raw edges. The stitch is done 
from left to right. If preferred, these seams may be 
pressed open and catch-stitched, working the stitches 
over the raw edge at each side of the seam, thus 
holding both down as shown in Fig. 12. 

A quicker method of catch-stitching is shown in 
Fig. 1.3. This stitch has not the strength of the first 
method and is only used in millinery and in dress- 
making where the work is concealed. This style of 
catch-stitching is done from right to left. 




Fig. 13. Catch-Slitch Used in 
Dressmaking and Millinery 




Fig. 14. Flat Fell Seam 



A FLAT FELL SLAM has one edge hemmed down to protect the 

other raw edge. It is used principally for underwear. Baste the 

edges together, and sew with combination stitch. If the edges are 

bias, sew from the broad part of the pieces to the narrow, to 

prevent raveling and stretching. 

Remove bastings, trim the edge toward you close 

to the sewing line, and turn the other edge flatly over it, 

pressing hard with the thumb 

nail. Make a narrow turning, 

baste and hem. (Fig. 14.) 



A FRENCH SEAM is a 
double seam encasing the raw 
seam edges. (Fig. 15.) Place 
the edges evenly together and 
sew close to them on the right 
side of the garment. Trim off 
all ravelings from the edges. 




Fig. 15. French Seam 



Turn the wrong side toward you, crease exactly at the seam, and make a second sewing 
of sufficient depth to entirely cover the raw edges. This seam is generally used in 
making garments of wash materials. 



6 THE DRESSMAKER 

A HEM is a fold made by twice turning over the edge of the material. (Fig. 
16.) Make a narrow, even turning, and mark the depth for the second turning on the 
material with a coarse pin, chalk or basting, using as a marker a card notched the de- 
sired depth of the hem. Fold on the line, and if the hem is wide, baste at top and bottom. 




Fig. 16. Hem 




Fig. 1 8. Folding for Square 
Corners 




Fig !9. 



Hemming Square 
Corners 




Fig. 1 7. Napery Hem 



Hold the edges you are going to sew on, toward you; 
place the hem over the forefinger and under the middle 
finger and hold it down with the thumb. Begin at the right 
end and insert the needle through the fold, leaving a short 
end of the thread to be caught under the hemming stitches. 

Pointing the needle toward the left shoulder, make 
a slanting stitch by taking up a few threads of the mate- 
rial and the fold of the hem. Fasten the thread by 
taking two or three stitches on top of each other. 

If a new thread is needed, start as in the beginning, 
tucking both the end of the new and old thread under 
the fold of the hem and secure them with the hemming 
stitches. Train the eye to keep the stitches even and 
true. 

A Napery or Damask Hem is used on napkins and 
tablecloths. Turn under the edge of the material twice 
for a narrow hem. Fold the hem back on the right 



side, crease the material along the 
first fold, and overhand the fold and 
crease together. The needle is in- 
serted straight as shown in Fig. 17. 
Open and flatten stitches with the 
thumb nail. If a square is used, 
turn the opposite side in the same 
manner. Hem the sides before fold- 
ing back on the right side. No ba- 
sting is needed for this hem. Take 
small stitches so that the work will look well when the hem is turned down, 
for hemstitching will be found on page 12. 




Fig. 20. Folding for Mitered Corners 



Directions 



SEWING STITCHES 



SQUARE CORNERS are made by turning under the edges as for hems. Turn the over- 
lapping hem back toward the right side and crease the material along the first fold. 
Open the hems and cut away the undcrlapping hem to within a seam of the second 
turning. (Fig. 18.) Hem the overlapping edges to the hem underneath, but not 
through to the right side. (Fig. 19.) Overhand 
the ends of the hems. Finish all the corners in 
the same manner. 

M ITERED CORNERS are made by joining two bias 
edges to form an angle. Turn the edges as for 
hems, and crease. Open the material, fold the 
corner toward the center, and crease where the 
lines cross. Cut the corner off, allowing a narrow 
turning. (Fig. 20.) Fold the hems down all 
around, bring the mitered corners together, and hem 
the side. (Fig. 21.) Hem the corners, but do not 
catch the stitches through the material underneath. 

A GUSSET is a triangular piece of material 
set into a garmentto strengthen an opening. (Figs. 
22 and 23.) Fold diagonally a piece of mate- 
rial two and one-quarter inches square and cut it 
on the fold. Take one of the triangles and fold 
it down a quarter of an inch all around, folding 
the straight edges first. Cut away the projecting 

I 




Fig. 21. 



Hemming Mitered 
Corners 





Fig. 22. Inserted Gusset on 
Wrong Side 

points at the sides. Hold the wrong side 
toward you, with the right angle down and 
fold so that the point at the bottom will 
meet the fold at the bias edge. 

Make a narrow hem all around the 
opening. Pin the corner of the gusset, to the 
end of the opening, right side to right side. 
(Fig. 22.) Beginning at the center, overhand 
tn the hem as far as the crease in the gusset. 
Fold the gusset over at. the crease and pin 
at the center and each corner, taking care 
that the warp and woof threads run parallel 
with those of the garment. Baste and hem 
all around. (Fig. 23.) The lower edge of 
the gusset will have to be stretched to fit 
the opening. 

TUCKS should be marked with a. meas- 
ure so that they will be of even width. 



23. Finished Gusset on 
Right Side 




Fig. 24. Tucks 



8 THE. DRESSMAKER 

Cut the gage from a piece of cardboard, and from the end measure down the width 
of first tuck, making a slash and a bias cut to meet the slash. (Fig. 24.) Make a second 

cut as shown in Fig. 24, allowing for width 
of space and second tuck. 

It is quicker and more accurate to 
make a gage of this sort in measuring short 
spaces, such as hems, tucks and the spaces 
between them, than to use the tape meas- 
ure, as sometimes the eye becomes con- 
fused at the small marks on the tape, and 
mistakes are made that will prove quite 
serious. 

Fig. 25. Gathering 

FOR GATHERINGS, make a row of 
small running stitches. The stitches may be 
the same length as the spaces, or the spaces 
may be twice the length of the stitches. 
Always begin by inserting the needle from the 
wrong side to conceal the knot. It is better 
to slip the stitches along on the needle and 
not remove it from the material. 

When the gathering is completed remove 
the needle and draw the gatherings up tight. 
Place a pin vertically, close to the last stitch, 
and wind the thread several times around the 





Fig. 26. Position of Needle in 
Stroking Gathers 



pin in the form of an 8. (Fig. 25.) This holds the gathers firmly together and facil- 
itates the stroking. 

In Stroking or Laying Gathers the work is held between the thumb and fingers of 

the left hand, with the thumb below the gath- 
ering thread. Put the side of the needle well 
above the gathering thread and press the little 
plait under the thumb, drawing the needle 
down. (Fig. 26.) 

Do not use the point of the needle, as it 
scratches and weakens the material. Continue 
entirely across the gathers, putting the needle 
under each stitch and holding the plait firmly 
with the thumb. Stroke the material above the 
gathering thread as well as below it to make 
the gathers firm and even. 




Fig. 27. Two Rows of Gathers 



Two Rows of Gathers are often used in dressmak- 
ing and do not need stroking. A skirt joined to a 
band, a sleeve set in a cuff or sewed into the armhole, 
should be gathered twice so that the gathers will stay 
in the proper place. 

The second row is made with the stitches directly 
in line with those of the first row and one-quarter or 
three-eighths of an inch below them. (Fig. 27.) If 
there is much fulness to be gathered, the spaces be- 
tween the stitches may be lengthened. 

EMBROIDERY EDGING USED AS A FACING is 

shown in Fig. 28. The plain material above the em- 
broidery is applied as the facing. Crease the edging 
off at the depth it is to extend beyond the garment. 
Baste the material along the crease so that the seam 
will come toward the inside of the garment. Then stitch the seam. Now turn the 
edging down, fold in the raw edge at the top, and hem down as a facing. The facing 
should be no wider than necessary to make a neat joining. 




Fig. 28. Embroidery Facing 




Fig. 29. 



Embroidery Joined 
in a Tuck 




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Fig. 30. Insertion Inset with 
Rolled Hem 



SEWING STITCHES 9 

TO JOIN EMBROIDERY IN A TUCK, make several tucks in the plain material above 
the embroidery if it is wide enough. Then measure carefully the amount for the 
space between the tucks, the under part of the tucks, and the seam. Cut away the 

superfluous material and join the edging to the gar- 
<l ment. Crease the tuck with the seam directly in the 
J fold so that the raw edges will be encased in the tuck. 
■^^ When the materials of the garment and the embroid- 
ery are similar, and there are several tucks above and 
below the seam, the joining is imperceptible. (Fig. 29.) 

A ROLLED HEM may be used as a dainty finish 
in joining trim- 
ming of any kind 
to a garment of 
sheer wash ma- 
terial. Hold the 
wrong side of the 
material toward 
you, and, af ter 
trimming off all 

ravelings, begin at the right end and mil the 

edge toward you tightly between the thumb 

ami forefinger of the left hand, keeping the edge 

rolled for about one and a half inches ahead of 

the sewing. (Fig. 30.) 

EMBROIDERY MAY BE INSERTED by differ- 
ent methods. When a straight-edge insertion 
is used, the plain cambric may be cut away 
at each side of tie- embroidery. The material 
of the garment is then cut away under the em- 

_ broidery, leav- 
i n g a s m a 1 1 
seam, which is 
rolled and whip- 
pod to the em- 
1) r o i d e r y as 
shown in Fig. 30. 
If preferred, a. 
small seam may be left on the insertion as well a 
on the garment and be put together by a tiny 
French seam. This is the finish most commonly 
employed. 

Embroidery also may be inserted by a machine 
fell seam. (Fig. 31.) Baste the insertion to the ma- 
terial with a narrow seam on the wrong side. Trim 
off all ravelings and insert raw edges in the hem- 
mer of the machine, and stitch as in hemming. 

WHIPPING ON TRIMMING is generally done 
on an edge. If lace, it should be either gath- 
ered by pulling the heavy thread which is 
usually found at the top, or whipped and drawn 
as in a ruffle. Roll an inch or two of the gar- 
ment material, place the lace with its right 
side to the right side of the material, and whip 
both together. (Fig. 32.) Lace may be whipped 
on plain if preferred, but it must be eased in. 
Insertion may be inset in the same way. 
A Ruffle Used as Trimming may be whipped and gathered. Roll the raw edge and 
overcast the material as tar as it is rolled, taking care to make the stitch below the roll, 





Fig. 31. Insertion Inset by Machine 



Fig. 33 Whipping and Gathering 



10 



THE DRESSMAKER 



not through it. (Fig. 33.) Draw up the thread, making the ruffle the desired fulness. 
Divide the ruffle in quarters and mark them with colored thread. Make corresponding 
marks on the edge to which the ruffle is to be attached. Roll the edge of the garment 




ruiiiMftiniii 

Fig. 34. Showing Cut for Lace Insertion 

and overhand the ruffle to it, taking a stitch 
in every whipped stitch of the ruffle. 

METHODS OF INSERTING LACE and 

insertion, when the material has a straight 
edge, are shown in Figs. 34 and 35. Fold the 
material for a hem, creasing the lower fold 

hard 



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Fig. 35. Finished Hffect of Inserting Lace 




Fig. 36. Lace Insert 

If the insertion is narrow, the ma- 
terial is cut through the center (Fig. 
36); but if the insertion is wide, the 
material is cut away from under- 
neath, simply allowing a seam on 
each side. The edge is turned in a 
narrow hem covering the line of the 
basting. Stitch the insertion close to 
the edges from the right side, and at 
the same time catching through the 
material hemmed down. 

Insertion above a Facing is first 
basted in position, and the upper 
edge is finished as shown in Fig. 37. 
The facing is generally used when 
the outline of the lower edge is 
curved or pointed so that it can- 
not be turned up in a straight hem. 



Open the hem and baste the lace edge 
just below the lower fold, and stitch. (Fig. 
34.) Turn back the hem and crease the mate- 
rial on a line with the top turning of the hem. 
Cut to within a small seam above this crease. 
Fold in the raw edge, insert the edge of the 
lace insertion, and stitch. Turn a second hem, 
following the preceding directions, baste the 
other edge of the insertion just below the lower 
crease, and stitch as before. As many rows of 
insertion may be used in this manner as are 
desired. 

To Insert Lace Insertion in a garment, 
pin the lace in the position desired, and baste 
down both edges of the insertion. 




Fig. 37. Lace Insert above Facing 



SEWING STITCHES 



II 



The facing is cut to fit the outline of the lower edge and applied as a false hem, as 
shown in Fig. 37. When edging is used, it is basted to the bottom before the facing is 
added and all stitched in a seam together. Turn under the facing at the line of sewing, 

baste in position and stitch insertion from 

the right side. 

TO INSERT RUFFLES IN A HEM turn 
the hem toward the right side of the gar- 
ment and crease the fold hard. Divide 
both ruffle and hem in quarters and mark 
each division with colored thread. Insert 
the edge of the ruffle in the hem close to 
the fold (Fig 38) with the right side of the 




ruffle to the right side of the garment 
and the corresponding marks together. 
Baste and stitch one-quarter of an inch 
from the fold. Turn the hem back to 
the wrong side of the garment, fold the 
second turning, baste and hem. (Fig. 
39.) L, 

TO COVER THE JOINING OF A 
RUFFLE, divide both ruffle and garment 
in quarters and mark with pins or colored 
thread. Gather the ruffle and baste it to the 
garment. Turn the raw edges up on the 
garment and cover with a narrow bias band 
which can be bought by the piece with the 
edges turned ready for use. (Fig. 40.) This 
finish may be used on either the right or 
wrong side of the garment. Frequently 
this finish is used on berthas or scalloped 
edges that are not lined or faced. 

TRIMMINGS MAY BE MITERED so 

that the joining will scarcely be seen. If 
embroidery, fold it over so that the crease 
comes exactly in the middle of the corner, 
taking care to match the pattern per- 



. ._ 

Fig. 39. Finished Ruffle on Right Side 




Fig. 40. Band Covering Joining of Ruffle 




Fig. 4 1 Showing Cut for Mitered Corners 



fectly. Crease firmly, and cut 
on the creased line. (Fig. 41.) 
Place the right sides face to face 
and buttonhole the raw edges 
together with short, close stitches. 
Fig. 42 shows the finished corner. 
The method of making the but- 
tonhole stitch is shown in Fig. 48. 



12 



THE DRESSMAKER 





Fig. 42. Mitered Em- 
broidery 



Fig. 43. Mitered 
Lace 



Lace may be mitered in the same way, but it should be cut between the cords, not 
across them. Overhand the edges together, putting the neei lie back the depth of two 
cords. (Fig. 43.) 

Fig. 44 shows the figures cut around the edge, lapped and hemmed around 
the figure on each side. 
If a stronger corner is 
desired, the lace may be 
mitered in a very tiny, 
flat hem. 



HEMSTITCHING is 
a line of open-work 
made by drawing out 
parallel threads and fas- 
tening the cross threads in successive small 
clusters. Draw as many threads of the material 
as desired at the top of the hem, and baste 
it on this line. Hold the hem toward you 
and work on the side on which it is turned 
up. Fig. 45 shows the position of the hem 

with the stitching done 

from left to right. 

Insert the needle in 

the undcrf old of the hem 

at the left-hand edge. 

Hold the work over the 

forefinger of the left hand, 

keeping the thumb over 

the thread. Take up four 

or five threads with the 

needle, and draw the 

needle through, holding 

the thread firmly by the 

left thumb. At the ex- 
treme right of these 

stitches take a short stitch 

in the fold of the hem, as 

shown in the illustration. Now 

take up the same number of threads 

as before, and repeat. Care must 

be taken to keep the warp and 

woof threads exactly parallel, es- 
pecially in hemstitching a corner 

where the material has not been cut 

away. 

Machine Hemstitching is a sim- 
ple way of making imitation hem- 
stitching on the machine as shown 
in Figs. 46 and 47. Fold the ma- 
terial for a hem, and cut the garment 
off one-quarter of an inch above 
the sewing line. Fold blotting 
paper or any soft paper to one-eighth of an inch thickness. Place the two cut edges of 
the garment together, as if to sew a seam. Slip the blotting paper between the two edges, 
loosen the tension of the machine and stitch a quarter-inch seam through all the thick- 
nesses. (Fig. 46.) When the seam is stitched, cut the paper close to the stitching and pull 
it out. The stitches between the two edges of the material will then look like Fig. 47. 
The edge toward the hem is turned down and the hem is stitched by machine, close to 
the turning. The raw edge of the garment is turned in and stitched by machine. 




Fig. 44. Lapping and 
Matching Lace 




Fig. 45. Hemstitching 




Fig. 46. 



Preparing for Machine 
Hemstitching 




Hemstitching bv 
Machine 



CHAPTER 11 

BUTTONHOLES 



A WELL- MADE GARMENT that is otherwise perfect ma}' be greatly injured in ap- 
pearance by badly made buttonholes. They should always be properly spaced and 
marked before they are cut. Mark the points for the top and bottom button- 
holes, and divide the distance between these two points into the desired number of spaces. 
The slit must be cut on the thread of the goods, if possible, and must be large enough 
to allow the button to slip through easily, as a buttonhole becomes tighter after it is 
worked. 

With the buttonhole scissors carefully test the length of the slit and make a clean 
cut with one movement of the scissors. One of the most noticeable faults in buttonhol- 
ing results from an uneven or ragged slit. This may be caused by dull scissors or by 
the slipping of the fabric. To prevent the material from slipping, baste around the 
cutting line before using the scissors. 

There arc three kinds of buttonholes, one with the bar at both ends (Fig. 49), another 

with one round and one 
barred end (Fig. 50), and a 
third called the tailor's but- 
tonhole. (Fig. 51.) 

BARRED BUTTON- 
HOLES as illustrated in Figs. 
49 and 50 are used for un- 
derwear, waists and shirts. 
If the buttonhole is in an up- 
right position as in the cen- 
ter of a plait, or if the strain 
does not come at the ends of 
the buttonhole, as at the cen- 
ter back of a neck-band, the 
buttonhole with a bar at both 
ends (Fig. 49) is used. If 

the strain on the buttonhole comes at one end so that the 

button requires a resting-place as in a cuff or belt, use the but- 
tonhole with the round end. (Fig. 50.) Buttonholes are 

stranded to prevent the edges from stretching. Bring the 

needle up at one end of the buttonhole, and, allowing the 

thread to lie along the edge of the cut on the right side of the 

material, stick down at the opposite end. Do the same on 

the other side of the cut and stick clown opposite the first 

stitch, with a stitch across the end to fasten the thread. If 

the material is inclined to fray, the edges may be overcast 

before working the buttonholes. 

To make the stitch, place the buttonhole over the forefinger 

of the left hand, holding it in position with the thumb and 

second finger as shown in Fig. 48. Begin to work the button- 
hole close to the corner or starting-point. Insert the needle, 

and while it is pointing toward you, bring the double thread 

13 




Fig. 48. Correct Position in 
Making Buttonholes 




Fig. 49. Buttonhole with 
Bar at Both Lnds 



14 



THE DRESSMAKER 




as it hangs from the eye of the needle around to the left under the needle. Draw the 
needle through the loop, letting the thread form a purl exactly on the edge of the slit. 
Continue these stitches to the opposite end, being careful to take them the same depth 
and close together. Now pass the needle up and down through the goods until two or 
three threads cross the end of the slit quite close to the buttonhole stitches, thus form- 
ing a bar tack. (Fig. 72, page 22.) At the end, turn the work 
around so that the bar end is toward you and make several button- 
hole stitches over the bar tack and through the material. (Fig. 
49.) Work the other side of the buttonhole and the second bar. 

THE ROUND-END BUTTONHOLE is stranded in the same man- 
ner as the double-barred buttonhole. Fig. 50 illustrates the 
steps in the making of this buttonhole with the opening first 
stranded and then overcast. 

Begin the buttonhole stitch as in the first buttonhole, work- 
ing down one side. When the outer end is reached, the stitches 
are taken on a slant, inserting the needle each time at a little 
different angle until the end is rounded. Continue the work on 
the other side. The inner end is finished with a bar tack. The 
different steps of this buttonhole are shown in the illustration. 

THE TAILOR'S BUTTONHOLE is used for garments of heavy 
cloth, as the round end or eyelet provides a resting-place for the 
shank of the button or the stitches holding the button . Baste around 
the line of cutting so that the material will not slip, and cut the slit 
the desired length. At the outer end 
cut a small eyelet as shown in the 
top figure in the illustration, 51. 

After cutting, the buttonhole 

should be stranded so that the worked 

edge of the buttonhole will be firm 

and distinct. This may be done 
with two threads of twist. Tailors follow the plan of 
using cord formed of several strands of the buttonhole twist, 
or linen thread twisted together, or a gimp cord. An end of 
this cord or thread is secured at the inner end of the button- 
hole between the fabrics, and the other end is fastened to 
the knee or some convenient place and kept taut by a slight 
strain upon the work as it is held in the hand. 

By this strain the cord is kept straight and in position 
Just back of the edge of the buttonhole. The stitches are 
worked over the cord by the usual movements. After each 
stitch is drawn down, the loose twist should be picked up 
firmly by the thumb and forefinger quite near the stitch, 
and two or three circular twisting movements should be 
made so that the loop formed will settle securely and neatly 
into its proper position. Be careful to complete each stitch 
with uniform movements. When the eyelet is reached, the 
work is adjusted so that the stitches may be made at the 
proper slant. The stitches should radiate from the eyelet as the spokes do in a wheel. 

The inner end of an eyelet buttonhole may be bar-tacked. Sometimes the bars are 
simply worked with an over-and-over stitch. This is done by passing the needle up 
through the fabric at one side of the bar and down through it at the other side until the 
bars are entirely covered with these stitches and the stays look like a fine cord. After 
the buttonholes are worked, their edges should be closely basted together by an over- 
and-over stitch made by pushing the needle up and down over the edges just back of the 
stitches. Then they should be pressed under a dampened cloth. In fact, all buttonholes 
should be pressed if the goods will permit. Before they are dry, a stiletto should be 
pushed up vigorously through each eyelet until the opening becomes perfectly round 



Fig. 50. Buttonhole with 
Round End 




Fi$. 5 1 . Tailor's Buttonhole 



BUTTONHOLES 



15 



and the stitches around its edges are regular and distinct. 
When the bastings are removed, the buttonholes will be 
symmetrical in appearance. 

BLIND LOOPS are used on garments fastened with hooks 
and eyes, to take the place of the eyes. The process of making 
them is shown in Fig. 52. Mark the position of the loop oppo- 
site the hook, knot the thread and bring the needle up through 
the material. Make a bar-tack the desired length by taking 
three or more stitches one over the other. Working from left 
to right, hold the thread down with the left thumb, and insert 
the needle, eye foremost, under the bar and over the thread. 
The use of the blunt end of the needle facilitates the work. 
Draw the thread up, letting the purl come to the lower edge of 
the loop. Repeat the stitches, covering the entire bar-tack, 
and fasten on the wrong side. Sometimes the bar-tacks are 
made in the form of a cross-stitch. 

EYELETS are holes 
made and worked in a 
garment to hold the 
cord or buttons. The 
method of making 
is shown in Fig. 53. 
Pierce the eyelet - hole 
with a stiletto. Make 
running stitches around 
the circle, place the hole 
over the fore finger of the 




Fig. 53. E-yelet 



Fig. 52. Blind Loop 
Work from right to 



left hand and buttonhole the edge, covering the running stitches. 
left, as shown in the first figure of the illustration. 

METHODS OF SEWING ON BUTTONS are illustrated in Fig. 54. Always use a 
coarse single thread in preference to a fine double one. In placing buttons. in posi- 
tion, lap the edges of the garment, and push a pin through at the outer end of the 
buttonhole. This will bring the button exactly opposite the buttonhole. Make a 
knot in the thread, push the needle through from the right side so that the knot 
will be directly under the button. Place the button in position. Bring the thread up 
through a hole in the button and 
down through the hole diagonally 
opposite as shown in the second fig- 
ure. Place a pin under the thread 
on top of the button in order to keep 
the thread loose, and make a cross- 
stitch through the remaining holes. 

Repeat the stitches until the but- 
ton is securely fastened. Remove 
the pin, draw the button away from 
the material as far as possible and 
wind the working thread tightly sev- 




Fig. 54. Sewing on Buttons 



eral times around the threads between the button and the material, thus forming a 
thread shank for the button. If a button is too closely sewed to the garment, it will not 
have room to rest easily in the buttonhole and will crowd the latter out of shape and 
make the spacing seem irregular. The loose sewing and the winding increase the dura- 
bility of the work and lessen the strain on the button. 

The first figure shows another way of sewing on a button in which the stitches are not 
crossed. This method is used in dress and coat making, as the stitches are considered 
more ornamental. The third figure shows the method of sewing on a shank button. 
Make the stitches parallel with the edge when sewing on this button so that the strain 
will come on the shank. 



16 

r 



. 54 A. Bound buttonhole 



H 




Fig. 54 B. The binding 



THE DRL55MAKLR 

THE BOUND BUTTONHOLE is shown in Figure 
54 A. The length and position of the buttonhole 
should be marked on the garment with basting cotton. 
A bias strip of self or contrasting material about seven- 
eighths of an inch wide is used for binding it. Sew the 
binding to the right side of the garment with running 
stitches an eighth of an inch from the buttonhole 
mark (Figure 54 B). Turn in the other three edges an 
eighth of an inch and press them flat (Figure 54 B). 

The binding should be fully the length of the slash. 

When it is sewed on and the edges pressed, cut the 
buttonhole in the garment. Be sure to cut a clean, 
straight hole. 

Push the binding through to the wrong side of the 
garment and slip-stitch it to position in the sewing 
line of the right side. Slip-stitch the corners of the 
binding so that they will not fray. Figure 54 A shows 
the finished bound buttonhole. 

The bound buttonhole can be used on wool, silk, 
linen or cotton garments. It gives a finished look to a 
coat or dress and is particularly effective when the 
binding itself is in a contrasting color, though the bind- 
ing is frequently of the same material as the garment. 



CHAPTER III 

DARNING AND MENDING 




NOWHERE is the maxim " A stitch in time saves nine " more applicable than Id 
the household. Here it implies, in a general sense, the immediate repair of any 
and all household articles. But the proverb is more particularly associated with the 
thought of mending and darning the household linens and the clothing of the fam- 
ily. Every one will agree that a patch is better than a hole, but it is still better to postpone, 
and, if possible, to prevent, the hole wherever the case will permit it. 

DARNING is a simple remedy for many cases of prevention as well as cure. A few 
general directions will apply to darning in all its various phases. Neatness and the care- 
ful selection of materials most appropriate for the work are the chief requirements for 
successful darning. Whether the material to be darned is cotton, silk or wool the darn- 
ing thread should correspond in thickness and color to the thread 
in the material, and the needle should be neither coarser nor finer 
than required. 

For Reenforcing worn places before the hole has come through, 
particular care should be taken to make the work as inconspic- 
uous as possible. A thread or raveling of the material will do 
better than one of sewing silk, as the latter, no matter how well 
matched in color, will be sure to have a luster that will bring 
the stitches into prominence. The drawn thread need not be 
long; short ones can be worked in just as well. 

Baste the part to be mended over a piece of medium stiff, 
glazed paper, or table oilcloth. Use a needle as fine as the 
thread will permit. Darn back and forth with as fine stitches as 
possible, following the grain of the goods and keeping the threads 
loose so that they will not draw. (Fig. 55.) The ends of the 
threads are not fastened, but are clipped off close to the garment 
when the work is finished. 

A Running Darti is used when the garment is worn too thin 
to be mended satisfactorily by reenforcing. Insert the needle 
a short distance from the edge of the worn or thin part, and 
parallel with the thread of the weave. Run it under a few threads 
and iiver a few, to the opposite side of the worn place. Re- 
turning, run the needle over the threads that were taken up, 
and under those over which it passed in the first row. Con- 
tinue the process until the whole thin surface has been given 
a new body. In Fig. 56, white thread has been used in order 
to show the stitches. 

When the part to be mended requires still more body than 
can lie given by the running darn, a piece of the material may 
be laid on the wrong side, and while applying the running 
darn, this piece is occasionally caught up by the needle to 
hold it securely in position. 

A Woven Darn is necessary when a hole has been worn 
through the material. The threads in this case are woven both lengthwise and cross- 
wise with the weave of the garment. First baste the part with the hole over a piece 
of paper or table oilcloth, taking care not to draw it out of shape nor to let it bag. Do 
not trim the frayed or worn edges off. The unevenness around the edge, which these 
frayed ends create in the process of darning, helps to make the darned place less con- 

17 



Fig. 55. Reenforcing b 
Worn Place 



i * i"* '. i 
Mm 


ffl 


.. : ,'■ •-. 


1 \\ 


c,IV' 1 

. ■ •; t 


w 



Fig. 56. A Running Darn 




Fig. 57. 



18 THE DRESSMAKER 

spicuous. The lengthwise threads are run in first. Starting 
well in from the edge of the hole at one side, take up a few 
small stitches, cross over to the opposite side and again run a 
few stitches into the edge. Keep the threads taut, but not 
tight enough to pull. Returning, leave a tiny loop at the 
turning-point, to allow for shrinkage of the darning threads. 
Continue back and forth till the hole has been covered. Now 
begin the crosswise threads in the same way; darn over and 
under the lengthwise stitches, alternating with each return 
thread. The frayed edges are caught in the weave as they 
happen to come, and are firmly secured between the latticed 
threads. (Fig. 57.) 

STOCKINGS are darned on the right side to keep a smooth surface next the foot. 
A darning-egg or ball, held in the left hand, is slipped under the hole, with the stocking 
stretched smoothly, but not tightly, over it. The darning is done with the right hand. 
In a woven darn the darning threads in a stocking usually run up and down with the 
rib, and then across, but when the hole is at the knee or heel, where greater elasticity is 
desired, the threads are run across diagonally. 

A Broken Stitch or two in a stocking, sometimes giving the 
appearance of a large hole, can be very easily remedied if 
attended to at once. With a silk thread, pick up the broken 
stitches and draw the edges together, and by a web-like weav- 
ing close the hole. 

A Dropped Stitch is an ugly imperfection in a stocking that 
is more easily remedied by the use of a crochet-hook than by 
darning. Slip a fine crochet-hook through the little loop at 
the lower end of the hole; catch up the first thread, and pull 
it through the loop. Continue until every dropped thread 
has been caught, then securely fasten the last loop at the end 
with a few sewing stitches. Fig. 5S shows the position of 
the crochet-hook in the process of picking up dropped stitches. 
To Set in a Piece is a very satisfactory way of "extending the 
term of usefulness of the stocking when the hole 
is too large to be neatly darned. For this pur- 
pose it is always well to keep on hand the leg por- 
tions of a number of stockings of which the feet have 
been worn out and discarded. 

Baste the part to be mended over a piece of paper 
and trim off the ragged edge. Cut a piece from a 
stocking-leg, matching it in color and texture, with the 
ribs running like those in the stocking, and conform- 
ing in shape to the hole, but a trifle smaller. Baste 
this piece into position on the paper, and join the two 

edges, the 
f-Vw needle 




Fig. 58. Picking up a 
Dropped Stitch 



- 







passing in 



Fig. 59. Setting a Piece in a Stocking 



Hi 



zm 




Fig. 60. An Underlaid Piece Darned In 



close stitches, alternating, over one edge and 
under the opposite, until the piece has been 
securely and neatly worked into position. 
The stitch in this method will be seen to form 
a kind of lacing, which must be done evenly 
and closely, but not tightly enough to raise 
the edges. (See Fig. 59.) 

An Underlaid Piece Darned In is a still 
better method of closing a hole when the 
stocking or garment is very loosely woven or 
knitted, in which case the use of a darning-egg 
would give it a baggy appearance. Do not 



DARNING AND MENDING 



19 



trim off the ragged edges. Cut the underlying piece a trifle larger than the hole, but 
conforming to it in shape and matching it in color and texture. Baste the piece on the 
paper first, and then lay the hole over it. Or the torn piece may be stretched over an em- 
broidery hoop and the patch basted to it. Run the darning-needle back and forth, 
over and under the lapped edges, closely weaving them together, keeping down all 
the loose ends. Fig. 60 shows the right side of the finished darn, a black thread having 
been used in the illustration to show the stitches. 

A PATCH is generally used for mending flannel or heavy woven underwear, par- 
ticularly if the garment is too much worn to warrant the time and work necessary for a 
careful darn. 

.1 Flannel Patch is a piece of the material 
basted on the wrong side of the worn or torn 
part, and catch-stitched to the garment with 
small stitches all around the edge. The worn 
place, or the ragged edge of the hole, is then 
cut away from the right side, and the edge 
catch-stitched all around in the same man- 
ner. (Fig. 61.) 

A Hemmed Patch is used — unless the hole is 
so small that it can be neatly darned — for 
mending material that requires frequent laun- 
dering, such as muslin underwear, bedding 
or household linen. If the material is striped 
or figured, the patch should be cut so that 
the lines will match. Pin the patch into posi- 
tion on the underside of the piece to be mended. 
Crease a seam all around and baste it down. 
Now cut out the worn part, allowing a nar- 




J 



Fig. 61. Right Side of Flannel Patch 




Fig. 62. Wrong Side of Hemmed Patch 



Fig. 63. Right Side of Hemmed Patch 



row seam at the edge. Clip the edge a trifle at each corner, turn in the seam, and baste 
it down. Then with fine stitches sew the patch down all around on both sides of the 
material. (Figs. 62 and 63.) 

An Overhanded Patch is used on material that is seldom washed, and where the raw 
edge on the wrong side is not objectionable. The sewing in this patch is not so notice- 
able as in the hemmed patch, for it has but one line of stitches. In cutting the patch 
be sure to match the stripe or figure. The piece should be large enough to cover the 
hole well, when it is basted over it with tailors' tacks. (Directions for tailors' tacks are 
given on page 22.) When the patch has been basted and cut apart, it will be seen that 
the exact outline of the patch has been marked on both the garment and the patch. The 
uneven edges are trimmed away leaving a narrow seam. (Figs. 64, 65 and 66, page 20.) 



20 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Notch the corners of the hole diagonally to the line 
of tacks, and trim off the corners of the patch. Turn 
the seam edges of both hole and patch toward 
the wrong side on the line of the tacks, and baste 
together. Then with small overhand stitches sew 
the patch in securely, being careful during the 
whole proceeding to keep the warp and woof threads 
of the material straight at the joining edges. Figs. 
65 and 66 show both sides of the patch after it has 
been well pressed. 




Fig. 65. Wrong Side of Patch 

MENDING TISSUE, or TAILORS' TISSUE, as it 
is sometimes called, is a great convenience in cases 
of awkward rents or tears where patching would be 
undesirable. It is a semi-transparent substance, 
resembling the thin rubber used in dress shields. 
It melts under a hot iron and acts like a glue, 
holding the torn fibers together. 

A Triangular Tear should be mended imme- 
diately, before the edges have had a chance to 
F,g.66. Completed Patch fray _ The tom par( . Qf the garment should be 

laid, wrong side up, over an ironing-board. Push the 
torn edges together, bringing them as nearly as possi- 
ble to their original position. Lay a square piece of 
the mending tissue large enough to completely cover it 
over the tear and a piece of the cloth over the tissue. 
Baste the cloth piece in position, but do not let the 
basting threads run through the mending tissue or 

they can not be easily 

drawn out. Then run 

a hot iron over it all 

several times until the 

two pieces and the 

ragged edges are nicely 

stuck together. Cut 

away all superfluous 

material around the 

edges. Fig. 67 shows 

a satisfactory result of 

this method of mending on the right side of the material. 





Fig. 67. A Rent Repaired with 
Mending Tissue 



Fig. 68. A Piece Set In 



A Patch may also be set in with mending tissue in cases 
where it is undesirable to have any stitches showing. 
The hole is trimmed to a square or oblong shape, and a 
piece cut the same shape, but a seam's width wider all 



DARNING AND MENDING 



21 



around. Lay the garment over an ironing-board, as directed above, and, between the 
edges of the hole and the lapped edge of the patch, lay strips of the mending tissue. Be 
careful not to have any of the tissue extending beyond the torn edge on the right side, 
as it will make an ugly mark after being pressed. Fig. 68 shows a hole neatly mended 
by this method. 

STOTING is a process of mending much used by tailors, especially on closely woven 
or very heavy cloth that does not fray. The first illustration, Fig. 69, shows the cut, and 

in Fig. 70 is shown the 
position of the needle 
and thread in the proc- 
ess of stoting. Use 
either a thread drawn 
fromthecloth, orahair, 
to do the stoting. 

The part to be mend- 
ed is basted smoothly 
over a piece of paper. 
The needle is inserted 
about half an inch from 
the torn edge, and run 
between the threads of the cloth, across the cut, to half an inch on the opposite side, 
and drawn through. Reinserting it, run the needle back od a somewhat slanting line 
and continue until the cut has been closed. Then repeat the same process, running 
the threads in the opposite direction. When pressed, this mending can hardly be noticed, 
but stoting can only be done over a clean cut or tear. On material that is not thick 
enough for the needle to pass between the weave, it must be done on the wrong side as 
lightly as possible. 





Fig. 69. A Cut in Heavy Cloth 



Fig. 70. Stoting with a Hair 



CHAPTER IV 

PRACTICAL AND ORNAMENTAL STITCHES 




Fig. 7 1 . Tailors' Tacks 



TAILORS' TACKS are used in cutting out garments to mark seams, perforations, etc. 
They are used to give a clean exact line for the sewing. When laying out the 
pattern on the material, mark all the perforations as directed in the pat- 
tern instructions with chalk and cut the pieces. Then with a double thread 
baste through both thicknesses of the cloth 
wherever it is marked, alternating one long 
and one short stitch. Leave the long stitches 
loose enough to form a loop under which a 
finger can be passed. (Fig. 71.) Then cut 
every long stitch and separate the two pieces, 
cutting the threads that still hold them to- 
gether as you go along. There will then be 
enough stitches in each piece to indicate 
the sewing line plainly, and both pieces will 
be marked exactlv alike. For waists or 
coats, or for any curved outline, the tack 
stitches should be quite short. 

In using tailors' tacks for marking long tucks or plaits in skirts, etc., the loose stitch 
may be an inch and a half long and not left in a loop, its length supplying the neces- 
sary ttvead for pulling through between the two pieces of cloth. 

BAR-TACKS make a very neat and serviceable finish for the ends of seams, tucks 
and plaits, and the corners of collars, 
pockets and pocket laps of tailored 
garments. Fig. 72 illustrates the 

process of making the simple bar-tack, fl \ limillll 1 

generally used as a stay for pocket 
openings. Mark the length desired 
for the tack; stick the needle through 
the entire thickness of the goods, down 
on one side, up on the opposite, and 
repeat several times, according to the 
required strength of the tack. Then 
without breaking off the thread, make 

one short stitch across one end of the long ones, and continue stitching closely all the 
way across, firmly covering the threads of the long stitches. Keep these cross-stitches 
close together, and while working, press the long stitches with the needle, to produce 
a cord-like effect. 

On garments having a finish of machine stitches at pocket openings, etc., the bar-tack, 
with small bars crossing the ends of the plain bar, is more ornamental. (Fig. 73.) The 
process of making is similar to that of the simple bar-tack, with small 
bars worked in after the long one has been finished. 

ARROWHEAD TACKS are used at the top or bottom of plaits and 
laps and at the ends of seams and pocket openings. (Figs. 74, 75, 76, 77.) 

First make an outline of the arrow with chalk or pencil. Bring 

the needle up at point A, then take a small stitch at point B as 

shown by the position of the needle in Fig. 75. Bring the needle 

Fig. 74. Arrowhead down at point C (Fig. 76), up very close to point A along the line 




liinfiitl- 



Fig. 72. Making a Bar-Tack 



Fig. 73. Barred on Ends 




PRACTICAL AND ORNAMENTAL STITCHES 



23 



CA (Fig. 76), and take another stitch at point B close under the first one, and down 
very close to point C along the line CA. (Fig. 77.) The needle must go in on the chalk 
line BC and come up on the chalk line BA, keeping the outline of tne triangle. Each 

successive stitch below point B will be a little longer than 
the previous one. Repeat this stitch until the entire 
space is filled. The finished arrowhead is illustrated in 
Fig. 74. on the preceding page. 

THE CROW'S-FOOT 
TACK is the most ornamen- 
tal of the fancy tacks ordi- 
narily used at the ends of 
pocket openings and seams. 




Fig. 75. 



Outline of Arrow- 
head 



It is illustrated in Fig. 78, 
with the detail of the 
stitch in Figs. 79 and 80. 
Outline the tack with 




Fig. 76. Second Movement 



chalk or pencil. The dotted outline seen in Fig. 79 shows 

the correct design for the tack. Bring the needle up at 

point A, pass it down at B, and up again at B outside of 

and close to the stitch in line AB; then down at C, up sit 

C outside of and close to the stitch in line BC, and down tit A just outside the stitch in 

line AB, as illustrated in Fig. 79. Now bring the needle up on the dotted line AG out- 




Third Movement 





Fig. 78. Crow's-Foot 



A C 

Fig. 79. Detail of Crow's-Foot 




Fig. 80. Second Movement 



side the stitch on line AC close to A; pass it down on dotted line BC outside the stitch 
on line BC close to B; up on dotted line AB outside both stitches on line AB close to 
B; down on dotted line CA outside the stitch on line CA close to C; up 
on dotted line BC outside both stitches oh line BC; and down on dotted 
line AB outside both stitches on line AB, as illustrated in Fig. 80. Fill 
in the entire outline in this way until the completed foot looks like 
Fig. 78. It will be noticed in making this tack that all the stitches are 
taken on the dotted lines and always outside the made stitches, thus 
compressing the first stitches so as to curve the sides of the tack 
like the outline. 

For working these ornamental tacks, coarse buttonhole twist or 
twisted embroidery silk is usually employed, and it is generally the 
same color as the material. With a little practise these tacks can be 
well made, and any of them will add greatly to the finish of the garment. 
The crow's-foot is generally worked in scarlet or dark blue silk on 
the pockets of serge sailor suits. When it is used to finish the end of 
a plait in a skirt it is worked in floss the color of the dress. 




Fig. 81. Chain- 
Stitch 



A CHAIN-STITCH is, as its name implies, a row of stitches resem- 
bling the links of a chain. Bring the needle up from under the material, 
hold down the thread under the left thumb, and insert the needle in the 



24 



THL DRL55MAKLR 



same hole. Bring it up a stitch's distance below, on the upper side of the thread, thus 
forming a loop, or link. (Fig. 81, preceding page.) 

THE FEATHER-STITCH is one of the most frequently used of all ornamental stitches, 
for it can be worked with the coarsest of yarn or the finest of silk or linen thread, accord- 
ing to the nature of the material on which it is used. It makes a most satisfactory trim- 
ming. The single, double and triple combinations are shown in Fig. 82. 

Run a colored thread along the outline to 

mark the center line or mark it with a 

: . , transfer design. To make the single 

stitch, knot the thread and then bring the 

needle up through the material. Hold the 

thread down over the 

line with the left thumb. 

Insert the needle a little 

to the left of this line, 




Fig. 82. Feather-stitching. 
Butterick Transfer Design 3561 




Fig. 83. Simple Design 



and take a short, slanting stitch to- 
ward the right, drawing the needle out 
while the thread is held down smoothly 
by the left thumb. Then hold down 
the thread on the center line and take 
a stitch of equal length on the right 
side, and draw it out as before. 

For the double combination, take two stitches to the 
left, and two to the right each time before crossing the 
center line; and for the triple combination, three stitches. 
The beauty of feather-stitching depends on its evenness. 
Material may be marked for feather-stitching by a trans- 
fer pattern. Figs. 83 and 84 show ornamental designs. 




Fig. 84. Wreath Design 



THL BLANKET-STITCH is used to protect the edges of heavy woolen materials, and 
prevent them from fraying. In working, do not use a knot, but secure the thread by 
one or two running stitches toward the edge. Then, holding the thread under the left 

thumb, insert the needle 
to the depth required and 
bring it up from under the 
edge, allowing the 
thread to lie beneath the 
needle, forming an edge. 
(Fig. 85.) This stitch 
may be worked into var- 
ious ornamental designs if 
intended for decorative 
purposes. (Fig. 86.) 





Fig. 85. The Blanket-Stitch 



Fig. 86. Design used as 
Ornamentation 



PRACTICAL AND ORNAMENTAL STITCHES 



25 



FOR EMBROIDERED SCALLOPS the material may be marked with a stamping pat- 
tern, which can be had in various sizes for various purposes — handkerchiefs, towels, sheets, 
table linen, etc. This marking should be half an inch from the edge of the material. The 

work is very simple and 
easy, even for an inex- 
perienced needlewoman. 
Directly on the line run a 
row of chain-stitching 
which serves as a padding 
for the scallops. (Fig. 87.) 
The buttonholing is 
worked closely with the 
needle inserted just above 
the line of running stitches 
and enclosing the line of 
chain-stitches. Use silk 
or cotton, whichever is 
cut away close to the em- 





Fig. 88. French Knots 



Fig. 87. Scalloped Edge. Butterick Transfer Design 2886 

best suited to the material. The outer edge of the material 
broidered scallops after the stitching has been finished. 

FRENCH KNOTS, which are used in embroidery for the centers of flowers, etc., are 
made as illustrated in Fig. 88. After bringing the 
thread up through the material, take an ordinary 
back-stitch. Wind the thread or silk twice around 
the needle, draw it through, holding the coils down 
with the left thumb. Then insert the needle over the 
edge of the coils, in the same hole, thus making the 
knot secure. Do not cut the thread on the under side, 
but pass on to the next knot. 

THE FAGOT-STITCH is a style of hand-made trim- 
ming I hat is always popular and attractive. (Fig. 
89.) The simple beading stitch or any of the 
more elaborate stitches shown in the illustrations, which are very effective for trimming 
dainty lingerie, may also be used as a beading through which to run narrow ribbon. 

For fagoting, I lie design of the work should first be traced on a piece of stiff paper. 
Or, as in the case of a yoke or collar where a fitted shaping is required, a fitted pattern 
should be cut of stiff paper, and the ribbon, braid or folds of the material basted evenly in 
position, following all the curves. When the fagoting is to be applied to the garment in 
fancy design, and the material underneath the stitches cut away afterward, the entire 
piece of work should be smoothly basted over paper, and the line "of spacing which repre- 
sents the fagot-stitching outlined with 
chalk or tracing cotton. 

The Simple Fagot-Stitch is done by cross- 
ing first from left to right, and recross- 
ing from side to side between the folds of 
the material, taking a small stitch in the 
edge. The needle in crossing each time 
passes under the thread of the preceding 
stitch, thus giving the threads a slight twist 
at the edge of the material. (Fig. 89.) 

Simple Bending Stitches are illustrated 
in Fig. 90 on the following page. To make 
the upper design, a buttonholed bar, take 
a stitch directly across the space between 
the two folds and work the buttonhole 
stitch over the thread back to the starting-point. Then stick the needle into the edge 
of the fold near the hole of the first stitch, to keep the bar from twisting, and on the 
under side pass on to position for the next bar. 

In the lower design the thread is carried across as in the other case, and, returning, one 




Fig. 89. Simple Fagot-Stitch 



26 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 90. Simple Beading Stitches 



loose buttonhole stitch is made over the thread. Over this same loop, run two closer 

buttonhole stitches. Then make a second loose buttonhole stitch over the first thread, 

ind again, as before, the two close buttonhole stitches over this loop. Catch the needle 

into the edge of the fold, and pass on to the next 
stitch. The link bar is not so difficult to make 
as it appears, and really can be done more 
••■ ~:„ . ..■--.■■■ ] quickly than the plain buttonhole bar. 
BFJHjIIHj More Elaborate Beading Stitches are shown 

■HBH| in Fig. 91. The upper design is a combination 

of the link bar (described in the preceding par- 
agraph) run diagonally across the open space, 
and a simple twisted stitch run straight across 
from the apex of each of the triangles thus made. 
To make the second design from the top in 
Fig. 91, bring the thread up from one edge of 
the fold over to the opposite edge, take a stitch 
from the under side and draw the thread taut. 
Then insert the needle three-eighths of an inch 
from that point, allowing the thread to form a 

tiny loop. Insert the needle again directly op- 
posite the last hole, and from this point make 

five buttonhole stitches in the loop. Now catch 

up the edge of the fold just where the first plain 

stitch began, and on the under side bring it over 

to the second plain stitch, and draw it up for 

the next loop. 

In the third design in Fig. 91, the thread is 

first carried across from one fold to the other 

and left rather loose. Then the thread is brought 

up through the same fold one-fourth of an inch 

from the point where it was just inserted. Make 

five buttonhole stitches in the loop formed of the 

thread in crossing, and insert the needle in the 

opposite edge. Now carry the thread over 

again to form the next loop, running the needle 

into the same hole. Bring it up one-fourth of 

an inch below this point, and continue as before. 
To make the buttonhole cross-bar stitch 

illustrated in the fourth design of Fig. 91, first 

make a buttonholed bar as described in the par- 
agraph on simple beading stitches, but do not 

draw it tight; rather let it curve a trifle. Then 

proceed as if for the next bar, but when crossing 

catch into the preceding bar at the center but- 
tonhole stitch, and then continue to the opposite 

edge. Make an even number of buttonhole 

stitches on each side on this thread. Allow a small space between the cross-bars. 



msmmnmm 





Fig. 91. Elaborate Beading Stitches 



SHIRRING is made of successive rows of gatherings. It is used as a trimming. There 
are several different kinds of shirring, the use of which must be determined somewhat by 
the character of the material and the style of garment. Before beginning, it is best to 
mark the sewing lines with a colored thread, to be sure to get the rows even. This thread 
can be drawn out when the shirring is finished. 

A Simple Shirring is shown in Fig. 92 on the next page. The top edge is turned in and 
the first row shirred in close to the edge. The thread should be amply strong, with a good 
big knot at the end; for if the thread is weak and breaks, or the knot pulls through, the 
shirring will progress slowly, and the material will suffer unnecessarily in the working. 

Shirring can also be done very successfully on the machine, by using the gathering at- 
tachment. In that case it is especially necessary to mark the sewing lines before beginning, 
as the machine does the work so rapidly that one is more apt to get an irregular line. 



PRACTICAL AND ORNAMENTAL STITCHES 

Gaging or French Gathers is a style of shirring 
generally applied at the back of skirts, etc., where 
a quantity of material must be adjusted to a com- 
paratively small space. (Fig. 93.) The stitches 
in this case are made evenly: long ones on the 
right side and short ones on the under side of the 
material. Each successive row of gathers has its 
long and short stitches parallel, respectively, with 
those of the preceding row". The threads are all 
drawn up evenly, and fastened at tin- ends. 

Tuck Shirring* should lie made on the bias of the 
material. Baste the tucks in first, and then shirr 
along the line of bastings through both thicknesses 
of the material. Fig. 94 shows the tuck shirriugs 



27 




Fig. 92. Simple Shirring. 




drawn up lo fit over the shoulder. The 
length of the shirring thread determines 
the curve. 

Scallops or Snail Shirriugs are meant 
to be used as a band trimming. Make a 
narrow fold of the material, and run the 
shirring thread zigzag across from edge 
to edge. (Fig. 9.5.) As the work pro- 
gresses, draw up the thread, when the 
fold will acquire a scallop edge on 
both sides. If a wider fold is used, 
two threads may be run in close 
together. This will produce a 
more even trimming and one that 
will be less perishable. 

Cord Shirring (Fig. 96) is 
made much like the tuck 
shirring. Tiny tucks are hasted 
Fis. 93. Gaging or French Gainers iu with a cord enclosed from the 

under side. (See Fig. 9(i, page 28. 
Run in the shirring thread along the 
basting of the corded tuck, and when 
the entire number of threads have 
been run in, draw up the fulness. 

SMOCKING (illustrated on two 
pages following) is a style 
of trimming particularly 
suited to children's dress- 
es. It may be used in a 
pattern, forming yokes, 
etc. As a trimming it is 
sufficiently ornamental to 
make the addition of lace 
or other decoration quite 
; 1-ii unnecessary, and as an in- 
expensive trimming it can 
not be equaled. Delicate 
fabrics of cotton, wool or 
silk are best suited for this work, which is clumsy in too heavy materials. 

To Prepare /lie Material for Smocking, spread it out on a table. With a 
transfer pattern mark the straight lines of dots spaced an even distance apart. 
(Fig. 97.) The rows of clots for the smocking are so evenly arranged that 
they form perfect squares. (Fig. 97.) Keep the lines of dots absolutely 
straight on the grain of the goods. When marking material for smocking by 



MP 




Fig. 94. Tuck Shillings. Fitted Over Shoulder 



Fig. Q5. 
Scallops 



28 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 96. Cord Shirring 



a transfer pattern, use as 

many rows of dots as the 

width of the smocking re- 
quires. But it is always a 

safe plan to mark a row or 

two less, in case a change 

should be decided upon before 

the work is finished. Then 

the material will not be disfig- 
ured by the marks. Soft, 

loosely twisted embroidery 

silk is used on silk or woolen 

materials, and the best quality of French embroidery cotton on wash fabrics. 

For the Simple Smocking, as illustrated in Fig. 98, take a thread and catch the mate- 
rial at the first dots of both the first and second 
rows; bring them together and catch the ma- 
terial securely at this point with two or three 
neatly made over-and-over stitches. Then, pass- 
ing the thread under the material, bring the 
needle out at the third dot and do the same 
there. Continue down the row to the depth 
desired for the smocking. 

In the second row of stitching, the alternate 
j dots of the second and the corresponding dots of 
the third rows are caught together, always 
keeping the long thread on the under side taut 



1 



Fig. 97. Preparing the Material for Smocking 



but not so it will draw, and making the stitches as even in size as possible. 

In Fancy Smocking the material must, of course, be marked with dots following 
the pattern decided upon. The needle is first run through each dot as for a gathering, 

drawing the material up 
in even folds (Fig. 99), 
similar to the method of 
making French gathers. 
The Outline Stitch, as 
used in Fig. 100 is worked 
from left to right along 
the line of the gathering 
thread. The stitch is 
caught through from the 
under side of each small 
fold while the gathered 




Fig. 98. Method for Making Simple Smocking 



TTTTn~~ 






material is held in the left hand, and brought up and over the edge of the first fold 
to the second one. A variety of arrangements can be used effectively in this way. 

The Cable Stitch, used single and double, is 
illustrated in Fig. 101. Start the thread as for 
the outline stitch, taking a stitch from left to 
right through a fold from the under or left side; 
then through the next fold, from right to left, 
and repeat. The second row is begun with the 
right-to-left stitch, thus producing a V-shaped 
arrangement of the fold. 

The double cable stitch is simply two rows 
of the cable stitch run close together. 

The Diamond Stitch is begun like the cable 
stitch. Take one stitch in the first fold, from 
left to right, with the thread below the needle. 

In the second fold, a little above the line of the first stitch, take a similar stitch. In the 
third fold take a stitch from left to right, but with the thread above the needle. This 
stitch forms the apex of the triangle. Descending, take a stitch in each of two folds 



111 nil Uj 

Fig. 99. Preparing Material for Fancy Smocking 



JL 



PRACTICAL AND ORNAMENTAL STITCHES 



29 



from left to right, keeping the thread above the 
needle. The stitch in the third fold again has 
the thread below the needle, and the line of 
stitches again begins ascent. Continue in this 
way as far as the smocking is desired. 





Fig. 101. Cable Stitch 



Outline Stitch 

The second row of zigzag stitches is put in so 
that the two will form a line of diamond-shaped 
figures which can be increased to any depth de- 
sired by additional rows of smocking. (Fig. 102.) 

If a yoke or. pointed effect of the smocking is 
desired, it can easily be accomplished by omit- 
ting as many diamonds as necessary to make the 
points, as one proceeds with the work. 

Smocking is not in the least difficult once the method has been thoroughly grasped. 
For some reason it is much more popular in England than in the United States. Abroad 
it is used a great deal for small children on little dresses of the simple smock order. 
They are very quaint and picturesque, extremely comfortable and becoming. Smock- 
ing done in colors on fine white batiste, silk mull, or nainsook makes pretty guimpes 
and dresses for children and very smart blouses for women. 




Diamond Smocking 



CHAPTEJR V 

BIAS TRIMMINGS 



BIAS BANDS, folds, ruffles, facings, etc., must be cut on a true bias to give satisfactory- 
results. For rounding corners or following curved lines, or making folds or ruffles 
} hang gracefully, it is impossible to use successfully material that is cut on the 
straight of the weave. To maintain a perfect bias, the strips should be of equal 
width throughout their entire length. 

Sometimes, in cutting, if the material is very 
pliable, the edges will stretch, and in time the cut- 
ting line will deviate from the original mark. It 
is well, in cutting many strips, to test the bias 
line occasionally, by laying the yard-stick across 
the material, and cutting a new edge if the old 
one is not even. 



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FiS, 103. Marking Material 
for Bias Strips. 



True Bias is obtained by spreading the ma- 
terial on the table and making a mark seven or 
eight inches from one corner on both the selvage 
and the cut end. Lay a yard-stick across the 
corner, touching both these marks, and draw a 
line. (Fig. 103.) Make as many marks on both 
edges as there are strips needed, marking them 
the required width. Then cut, carefully follow- 
• ing the line and using sharp scissors. 

When the material for the bias bands is alike on 
both sides, as in the case of corded silk, for instance, 
be careful to have the cut strips all on the same bias. 

TO JOIN BIAS 5TRIP5, lay the two diagonal ends 
together as shown in Figure 104 and baste in a seam. 
(Fig. 104.) It will then be seen that when the 
joined strips are lapped back, the grain of both 
pieces runs correctly in the same direction. 
(Fig. 104 A.) 



BANDS or FOLDS USED AS TRIMMING are made in a variety of ways. They may be 
lined, unlined, double of the material, or piped at the edges. Cut the band the required 
width, allowing for a turning at both edges. 

The Unlined Fold, illustrated on the following page, has its lower edge basted up in a 
hem, and stitched evenly from the right side. The upper edge is turned over, and the band 
is then basted into position on the garment. The upper edge is stitched through the 
garment, making the one stitching serve two purposes. (Fig. 105.) 




,.'!« 



Y if* 'I'' ' J 

w ,,/n 1 ' ( 






Fig. 1 04 A. The Seam. 



The Lined Fold is finished before it is applied to the garment. Cut a strip of canvas 
or crinoline, as wide as the band should be when completed. Baste it evenly on the wrong 

30 



BIAS TRIMMINGS 



31 



— 






- — -. — — 


) 








. — - - -- 








"; 




Fig. 105. 


UnNned Fold 






Fig. 106. Lined Fold 



side of the strip of material, catching both edges 
down over it. With the catch-stitch, fasten down 
the edges to the lining, and the fold is ready for 
use. (Fig. 106.) 

The Piped Fold is one in which a cord or piping 
(see page 32) has been applied to the edges with one 
or more rows of machine stitching that give it a 
tailored finish. (Fig. 107.) 

Double Folds are made of bias strips cut twice the 



Fig. 1 07. Piped Fold 



width desired for the finished band. Fold them over on the center line and baste them flat. 
Turn the two raw edges in and baste them together. Then join them neatly with slip- 
stitches, and apply to the garment by hand. If machine stitching is desired, baste the 
fold in place first and then stitch. These folds are frequently used as a trimming in the 
place of tucks. (Fig. 10S.) 

A Milliners' Fold is made by turning the top edge of the strip over one-half the 
width of the finished fold. Bring up the lower turned-under edge, covering the raw 
upper edge. Sew flat with fine running stitches. (Fig. 109.) 

If the material is very sheer, it is a good plan to have a small strip of paper, not 




Fig. 1 08. Double Fold 



Fig. 109. Stitched Milliners' Fold 



quite the width of the fold, to slip along within the fold as the work progresses. II 
pressing is necessary, use only a warm iron. 

Crepe folds are cut on the straight of the goods, so that the crinkles will run diagonally. 

Tailors' Straps are folded bands used 
to strap seams, or as an ornamental 
trimming on tailored garments. They 
may be cut on the bias, if of velvet or 
taffeta; crosswise if of woolen; length- 
wise if of cotton materials. Fold the strip 
at the center and catch the raw edges to- 
gether with loose whip-stitches as shown 
in Fig. 110. Spread out the fold and press 
it well. Baste into position on the gar- 
ment and stitch by machine on both 
edges. 




Fig. 1 10. Making Tailors' Strap 



CORD PIPING is used to give firm- 
ness to an edge, or as a trimming for 

waists, skirts, etc. Fig. Ill, on the following page, illustrates the process of running 
in a cord intended for a trimming. Mark the trimming line for the cord with a 
colored thread. Then, holding the cord underneath with the left hand, enclose it in a 



32 



THE DRESSMAKER 



tuck, stitching with fine even running stitches as close to the cord as is possible. 

In Pig. 112 is shown the cord run in a bias strip which is intended to be used as a facing 
for an edge. After the cord has been inserted, join the cording to the garment with 
the raw edge on the inside. The broad edge is then turned over one- 
quarter of an inch and hemmed down. 

PIPING is a finish much used in all styles 
of dressmaking. It is easy to make and very 
effective. Cut bias strips an inch and a quarter 





Fig. 111. Inserting Cord 

wide, if the material to be used for the 

piping is firm, as taffeta, etc. If a loosely Fig. 112. Cording for Facing 

woven material is used, the strips should be a trifle wider. Join all the strips, as described 

on page 30, and press the seams open. Then fold the strip over at the center line and 

baste it flat, being careful not to let it become twisted. 

Next prepare the edge of the material to which the piping is to be applied. If a stiffen- 






Fig. 



113. Crinoline Basted 
to Material 



Fig. 114. Under Side Showing 
Piping Clipped at Corners 



Fig. 1 1 5. Right Side of 
Completed Piping 



ing is desired, cut a lining of crinoline or canvas three-eighths of an inch narrower than 
the pattern or the piece to-be lined. Baste this lining into position as shown in Pig. 113. 
If the edge forms a fancy outline, as illustrated here, turn the edges over evenly all 
around, clipping at the corners and folding in at the points where necessary. (Pig. 114.) 
Then run a basting thread an even width (about three-eighths of an inch) around the edge 
to serve as a guide. Next baste on the piping, following this line closely. Be careful 
to avoid any scantness at the points or bulginess at the corners. Pig. 115 shows the right 
side of a pointed edge neatly piped. 

A ROLLED HEM makes a very pretty 

finish for bias or straight trimming-bands. 

It can only be used on an edge that is cut on 

a straight line. It can not be used on a 

curved edge. 

An allowance of one and a half inches will 

have to be made on the edge for this hem. 

Fold the edge over on the right side and 
sew one-quarter of an inch from the fold (Pig. 115 A). Then turn under the raw edge 
one-quarter of an inch and hem it over the stitches on the wrong side (Fig. 115 A). The 
hem must look round like a cord when finished — not flat — (Fig. 115 A). 




Fig. l 



The Rolled Hem 



BIAS TRIMMINGS 33 

CORDING is a very useful trimming and is made with bias strips and Germantown or 
eiderdown wool. The bias strips should be about an inch and a quarter wide. Fold the 
strips lengthwise through the center and run a seam three-eighths or a quarter of an inch 
from the fold edge. With the strips still wrong side out, slip the ends of several strands 
of Germantown or eiderdown wool far enough into one end of the tube-like covering so 
that you can sew them securely to it. Then with the loop end of a wire hairpin push the 
wool farther and farther into the covering at the same time turning the covering right side 
out. 

When cording is used to form a motif, stamp the motif on ordinary wrapping paper. 
The cordings are first basted in place on the design with the seam uppermost so that the 
right side of the motif will be next the paper. They are then sewed together at the points 
of intersection and contact. 



CHAPTER VI 

PLACKETS 



UNDERWEAR PLACKETS are made in the following manner. If there is no seam, cut 
the opening in the garment the desired length. It should be long enough to slip 
easily over the head. Cut for a lap a strip of material lengthwise of the goods. 
It should be twice the length of the placket opening and three and three-quarter 
inches wide. Fold the ends together and crease through center; open and fold the sides 
together and crease. Cut out one section to within a small seam of the 
crease as shown in Fig. 116. 

Baste the long straight edge of the lap to both edges of the opening, 

making a nar- 
row seam. Run 
it almost to a 
point at the 
lower end of the 
opening. (Fig. 
117.) Make a 
narrow turning 

on the three 

edges of both the narrow and the wide part of 
the lap. Double the wide part back (Fig. 118), 
baste the edge over the line of the sewing, and 
hem. This forms the underlap. Turn the 
narrow part back on the line of sewing, baste 
the free edge to the garment to form an under- 
facing, and hem. The end of the underlap is 
turned under, basted and stitched across. The 
finished closing is shown in Fig. 119. This placket 
It is usually employed for drawers, petticoats, etc. 




Fig. 1 1 6. Underlap and Facing 
Strip for Placket 



Fig. 1 1 7. Underlap and Facing Stitched to 
Placket Slit in Skirt 



has an outside row of stitching. 



Plackets such as are made for Unlined Dresses are shown in Figs. 120 and 121, on 
following page. These illustrate the placket 
used on skirts of unlined dresses when the 
outside sewing would be an objection. Use 
a strip twice the length of the opening and 
three and three-quarter inches wide, without 
cutting away the section as in the first method. 

The first sewing is made as in the first 
placket, then the free edge is turned under and 
hemmed close to the sewing. When this strip 
or lap is applied above the back seam of a 
skirt, it is set back an eighth of an inch from 
the stitching of the seam. One side is ex- 
tended out to form the underlap, and the other 
side is turned under on an even line with the 
stitching of the seam. When the placket is 
closed, the entire lap is hidden as shown in 
Fig. 121. 

The Plackets for Cloth Skirts require neat 
and tailor-like workmanship. Great care 
must be taken in handling the edges of the 

34 



the 




Fig. 1 1 8. Folded to 
Position 



Fig. 1 1 9. Finished 
Placket 



PLACKETS 



35 




120. Inside View of Con- 
tinuous-Lap Placket 




opening. They are gen- 
erally bias, and stretch 

easily. If the upper edge 

becomes stretched it will 

bulge when the skirt is 

on the figure — a defect 

you probably have often 

noticed on other women. 

Hooks and eyes or pat- 
ent fasteners should be 

placed sufficiently close 

together to prevent the 

skirt from gaping. Any 

stitching that shows 

through on the outside 

should be done evenly 

and with a suitable 

stitch and tension. 

Otherwise the placket- 
hole will have a careless 

appearance. A placket- 

hole should be ten or 

eleven inches deep unless 

the figure is unusually large and full, 
requiring a still deeper opening. 

The design of the skirt regulates the 
position and finish of the placket. It 
may be at. the center or side back, 
the front or side front. 

.4 Placket-Hole at the Center of an In- 
verted Plait is shown in Fig. 122. The 
placket comes under an inverted plait 
at the center back of the skirt. 

The first step in finishing the placket 
of a skirt of this kind is basting a nar- 
row strip of canvas or cambric along 
each edge of the opening, with the 
edge of the canvas three-eighths of an 
inch from the edge of the opening. 




Fig. 121. 



Outride View of Continuous- 
Lap Placket 



\\ 



Fig. 122. Placket in Center of Inverted Plait 

I The skirt edges are then turned back on the canvas and 
caught to it with small stitches. (Fig. 123.) Stitch the 
edges of the placket-hole and sew on the hooks and eyes 
as illustrated. Cover the canvas on the right side with 
a facing of silk. Sew an underlap of material an inch 
and a half wide, finished, to the left edge, and bind the 
raw edge of the lap with binding ribbon. (Fig. 123.) 

A Placket-Hole at the Right Side of an Inverted Plait is 
used on a skirt of heavy cloth that does not require the 
canvas reenforcement. Join the center-back seam to the 
top of the skirt and cut through the right-hand crease in 
the inverted plait to the regular placket depth. Bind both 
cut edges of the inverted plait with binding ribbon or a 
binding of thin silk. This method, as you see, allows 




Fig. 123. Inside View Showing Hooks 
and Lyes 



36 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 124. Placket Showing Hooks and Eyes 



the inverted plait to serve as a placket 
underlap. The outer left-hand fold of the 
plait should be stitched through all the 
thicknesses of the skirt, allowing the stitch- 
ing to taper to a point. (Fig. 124.) The 
stitching on the right-hand side of the 
skirt leaves the under portion of the in- 
verted plait free. Fig. 124 shows the posi- 
tion of the hooks and eyes and patent fast- 
eners on this placket-hole. 

The Placket-Hole at the Center of a Habit 
Back is practically the same as for the 
skirt with an inverted plait closed at the 
center-back seam. Face both edges of 
opening with canvas or cambric strips 
placed three-eighths of an inch from the 
edges which are turned back and catch- 
stitched to the canvas. (Fig. 123.) Stitch 

the edges of the placket-hole. Sew on the hooks and eyes, taking care that the stitches 

go no deeper than the canvas, for the sewing must not show through on the outside of the 

skirt. The same care must be taken in covering the canvas on the right side with silk, 

and in sewing on the underlap. The latter should 

be an inch and a half wide, finished. It is slip- 
stitched to the left hand edge of the placket. Its 

free edge should be bound with binding ribbon. 

The other edge should be turned under and hemmed 

by hand to the canvas. (Fig. 125.) 

A Placket-Hole at the Side Back or Front is used 

quite frequently. So far as the construction goes 

a skirt can open at any seam. When a skirt 

does not open at the center back the placket-hole 

generally comes on a seam at the left side of the 

back or front. The placket-hole in this case is 

made exactly as in the habit-back skirt, directions 

for which are given in the preceding paragraph. 
A Placket-Hole Under a Strapped Seam is shown 

in Fig. 126. The right-hand fold of the strap is 

stitched flat to the skirt. The left-hand edge of 

the strap is turned under and stitched to itself, 

following the same line of stitching that holds 

the rest of the strap to the skirt. (Fig. 126.) 
The hooks are sewed to the left edge of the 

strap. Notice that they are set close together and a trifle back from the edge. A 

strap placket must be held firmly to keep the line of trimming absolutely straight. For 

the same reason it is just as well to add a row of patent fasteners just back of the hooks. 

The underlap should be an inch and a half wide 
and an inch longer than the placket-hole, finished. 
It should be made of the skirt material faced with 
silk or with a light-weight lining fabric. 

Lay the underlap on the under side of the skirt 
with the edges of the skirt and lap even. Join 
them with a generous seam. The depth of the 
seam will depend largely on the width of the strap. 
After stitching the seam, turn the seam edges 
back and hem them flat to the lap. The other 
edges of the lap should be bound with silk or bind- 
ing ribbon. Blind loops are used instead of eyes 
Fig. 126. Placket Finish of Strapped Seam and should be worked on the skirt in corresponding 




Fig. 125. 



Finished Placket on Habit 
Back Skirt 




PLACKETS 



37 



positions to the eyes. The patent fasteners are sewed to 
the lap. (Fig. 126.) 

The Plachet-Hole in a Skirt Set in the Same Belt with its 
foundation skirt is made by the same methods as ordinary 
plackets. In such an instance, the placket opening of the 
skirt is finished separately. The edges of the placket open- 
ing of the foundation skirt are turned under three-eighths of 
an inch. The right-hand edge is hemmed under the bill of 
the hooks on the skirt, and the left-hand edge is hemmed 
against the edge of the underlap of the skirt placket. 

This style of placket is not used as much just at present 
as in former years, when almost every skirt was made with 
either a lining or a foundation skirt. While we dispense 
with the drop skirt in all dresses of heavy materials, it is 
still used with all thin evening fabrics and with a good 
many light-weight materials such as voiles, etc. 

Whatever kind of placket is used, one should be particu- 
larly careful to see that the hooks and eyes or fasteners are 
so arranged that they will keep the hole securely closed. Nothing looks worse than a 
gaping placket, and any woman who takes a pride in her personal appearance will pay 
special attention to this part of her dressmaking. 




127. Reverse Side of 
Underlap 



CHAPTER VII 

APRONS AND FLANNEL PETTICOATS 




A LL WOMEN need aprons, both for sewing and household use. For any one who has 
/\ had little experience in needlework the making of a few simple, pretty aprons will 
* *• make her familiar with the use of stitches and materials. 

Two sewing aprons can be made from three yards of lawn thirty-six inches 
wide. Tear the goods into three equal breadths. If the edges are uneven, pull the cross- 
w'se threads into shape by stretching through the bias. From one length tear four 
strips, thirty-six inches long and six inches wide for the ties, and two lengths for the 
belt bands. The latter should be three inches wide and two inches shorter than the 
waist measure. 

Take one of the remaining large pieces and turn up a four-inch hem at one end by 
folding over a narrow turning and creasing evenly. Make a second turning four inches 
wide and crease. Baste along the line of the first turning and hem neatly with small 
even stitches, 
using fine cotton 
and a small 
needle. 

Beginning 
with the selvage, 
elope the apron 
off a little at the 

top to keep it from hooping up at the front. It should 
be one-half inch shorter at the center front than at the 
sides. 

Gather the top three-eighths of an inch in from the 
edge and stroke the gathers. Draw up the threads, 
making the apron two-thirds of the waist measure. Pin 
the middle of the band to the middle of the apron on 
the right side. Hold the gathers toward you and back- 
stitch to the band. Hem the ties with three-eighths-inch 
hems at the sides and two-inch hems at the ends. Lay a 
plait in the upper end making it one inch in width and 
back-stitch to the end of the band three-eighths of an 
inch from the edge. (Fig. 128) . Turn the band toward the 
wrong side of the apron, turn in the raw edge three-eighths 
of an inch and hem to the gathers, covering the line of sewing. Turn in the ends of the 
band and hem them to the ties. Overhand the remaining spaces on the band. 

The apron may be finished without ties by cutting the band one and one-half inches 
longer than waist measure. Turn in three-eighths o'f an inch at each end and overhand 
all around. Make two buttonholes at one end and sew two buttons at the other end. 

A FLANNEL PETTICOAT or UNDERSKIRT is an excellent garment for the inexper- 
ienced needlewoman to practise on. 

Select a good pattern and cut as directed in the instructions. If the pattern allows 
for no hem, each gore must be cut about three inches longer at the bottom. Baste the 
seams, matching the notches, and backstitch them. Leave a ten-inch opening at the 
back for a placket, which can be finished with f eatherstitched hems as shown in Fig. 129, 
The seam edges may be catch-stitched as shown in Figs. 11 ,and 12 on page 5. 

The bottom of the skirt may be finished with a scalloped edge as shown in Fig. 87 on 
page 25. Or, the hem may be turned up on the right side, made into a French hem, and 
finished with a row of featherstitching as shown in Fig. 131. If this latter finish is de- 

38 



Fig. 128. Sewing on Ties 



APRONS AND FLANNEL PETTICOATS 



39 



sired, the seams must be stitched to within twice the depth of the finished hem, as illus- 
trated in Fig. 130. Clip the seam at this point to the stitching, turn the lower edges 
toward the right side and stitch the remainder of the seam. Press open, turn the hem 

to the right side, baste and featherstitch. Gather the top 
of the skirt, or, lay the fulness in an inverted plait at the 

back. 

Pin the belt to the top edge, 
on the outside of the skirt 
with the marks indicating the 
middle of the belt and the mid- 
dle of the skirt edge togeth- 
er, and the ends of the belt ex- 





129. Fealherslitched Hem 
at Placket 



30. Reversing « 
French Hem 



Fig. 131. French Hem on Flannel 
Skirt 



tending three-eighths of an inch beyond the hems of the placket. Distribute the gath- 
ers evenly, baste and backstitch the skirt to the belt. Turn the belt toward the wrong 
side, make a narrow turning on its wrong edge and hem it over the seam, covering the 
raw edges. Turn in each end of the belt three-eighths of an inch and finish with over- 
and-over stitches. 



CHAPTER VIII 

MAKING AND FINISHING UNDE.RGARMLNT5 

ALTHOUGH there is a particular daintiness and charm about hand-made under- 
wear, much fine and beautiful work may be done on the machine. The saving 
of time is so great that when a number of pieces are to be made this method is 
usually given the preference. A few of the smaller pieces — a corset cover, che- 
mise or a pair of drawers — can easily be made by hand, but the amount of work on gowns, 
petticoats or combination garments inclines one toward the machine method. 

One must understand something of the mechanism of the machine. It must be kept 
clean and well oiled. The number of the thread, the size of the needle, the length of the 
stitch, and the adjustment of the tension must be adapted to the material. No. SO cotton 
is the best for white work, except for tucks and hems and all outside stitching on very 
sheer and fine materials, when No. 100 or No. 120 may be used. Every make of machine 
has a table, giving the sizes of needles that should be used with certain number threads, 
which it is wise to follow. Remember that a sewing-cotton requires a looser tension 
than silk. 

The hemming and tucking attachments are great time-savers, but many women prefer 
to gather ruffles, puffs, etc., by hand and stroke them. 

No raw edges of material are left at the seams in lingerie. All edges should be joined 
with veining or finished in French or felled seams. The French seam is used at what 
may be called the regular seams — those joining together the gores or the front and back 
portions of the garment. A felled seam is used to piece the material in cutting unusually 
wide garments — drawers, for instance. 

Both the felled and the French seams are illustrated and explained in Chapter I, 
"Sewing Stitches." 

The daintiest and at the same time the most effective trimming for lingerie is hand 
embroidery. It is used on all the most beautiful French underwear, and is very lovely to 
look at, and yet adds very little to the cost of the garment. It is the only trimming that 
does not wear out, and it never requires mending. For every-day wear the simple scallops 
and eyelets which can be used in place of beading are very satisfactory. More elaborate 
designs can be used on finer lingerie for evening wear, etc. One can get very beautiful 
effects by combining hand embroidery with lace. 

THE PETTICOAT is a simple garment which even the beginner on the sewing-machine 
can undertake. With dress skirts that fit smoothly about the hips the fit of the under- 
garments is an important matter. 

Select a good pattern, in a suitable number of gores. A seven-gored pattern is preferred 
for a stout figure, as it gives two more seams for fitting. 

For Cutting, arrange the pattern pieces economically on the material, following the 
instructions carefully. Allow a two and one-half inch hem if it is not provided for in 
the pattern. 

Baste the gores together with a three-eighths of an inch seam. In basting a petti- 
coat always begin at the top with small, close stitches, for the greatest strain in fitting 
comes at the waist and hips. Below the hips the basting stitches may be larger. Be 
careful not to stretch the bias edge of the gore, as this is often the cause of the seams not 
being put together correctly. 

Try on and make any necessary alteration in the fitting. Stitch one-quarter of an 
inch outside of the bastings. Remove the bastings and reverse the seam, stitching a 
second time where the first row of bastings was made, making a French seam, as shown 
in Fig. 15 on page 5. 

The Placket is made at the back with a continuous lap three-quarters of an inch wide, 
finished as shown in the process of making on page 35. 

40 



MAKING AND FINISHING U N DERGARM E.NT5 



41 




The petticoat may be finished at the top with a narrow bias facing which allows 
it to drop below the waistline. If fulness is used, it can be gathered or laid in plaits 
at the back and the bias facing is basted to the right side of the skirt, turned over to the 
wrong side and stitched down by machine. The method for applying a facing is shown 
in Fig. 137. 

A Yoke which insures a better fit to the outer skirt is often used instead of a 
facing on un- 
derskirts and 
drawers. The 
yoke pattern 
should be 
bought by the 
same measure- 
ments as the 
skirt. If the 
waist and hip 
measure are 
disproportion- 
ate, order the 

pattern by the Fig. 132. A Circular Yoke Fitted to a Large Waist. 

h i p measure- 
ment nearest your own and alter it at the waistline. The yoke patterns are cut in one 
piece, either with or without darts. 

The yoke may be fitted by the darts if there are any. In case there is none, cut a 
trial yoke from coarse cambric before cutting out the real garment. Mark the center 
front with a colored thread and fit the yoke. If the waist is too small, slash the yoke 
down from the waist wherever necessary and pin a piece of cambric at each slash to 
hold it to the correct size as shown in Fig. 132. Use this fitted yoke as a pattern from 
which to cut the real yoke. Do not alter any of the notches in the lower part of the 
yoke, as the changes at the waistline do not affect the construction of the rest of the 

garment. 

If the waist measure is smaller than that of 
the pattern, pin little darts into the cambric 
yoke to make it fit. This process will repay 
the slight trouble involved by giving a smooth 
and comfortably fitted garment. Two pieces 
should be cut from muslin by the yoke pattern, 
one to be used as a facing or lining. 

If the yoke is not provided in the pattern, 
measure down from the waist to yoke depth 
and cut off the top of the skirt, making the 
cutting three-quarters of an inch above the 
lower edge of the yoke. 

.1 Silk Petticoat may be finished at the top by 
a method which dispenses with a placket. (Fig. 
133.) The entire upper edge of the skirt is 
finished with a bias facing. Stitch the facing to 
the skirt with the seam on the wrong side, turn 
the facing over and stitch directly on the edge; 
the remaining edge is turned in and stitched 
down flat. At the back, where the fulness commences, cut a slit in the skirt at each side. 
The slits should be worked like buttonholes. Insert a tape or drawstring through 
one buttonhole and draw it over a short distance beyond the buttonhole on the oppo- 
site side. Tack it firmly. A second tape is put through the buttonhole near the last 
tacking and brought out through the one on the opposite side, where it should be tacked 
firmly just beyond the buttonhole. (Fig. 133.) 




Fig. 133. 



Method of Finishing Skirt without 
Placket. 



The Hem is turned up at the bottom, or a narrow ruffle is put on as shown in Figs. 38 
and 39 on page 11, making the skirt three-quarters of an inch longer than the desired 



42 



THE DRESSMAKER 



length. Gather the ruffle, quarter it, and stroke the gathers. Measure up from the 
bottom of the skirt the exact depth of ruffle and crease, folding in the right side of skirt. 
Insert the ruffle and stitch three-eighths of an inch from the crease. Fold the tuck 
back and make a second stitching along the fold. This uses up the three-quarters of an 
inch which was added to the length of the skirt. 

DRAWERS are finished at the lower edge first. A gathered ruffle of either the plain 

material or embroidered edging makes a 
pretty trimming. It may be added in either 
of the ways shown on page 11. The depth 
of the hem, ruffle, etc., must be considered 
in - measuring the length. .If a row of insertion 
is desired at the head of the ruffle, the hem 
may be omitted and the insertion applied to 
the edge of the material with a French seam. 
The ruffling is joined to the insertion also in a 
French seam. If tucks are to be used as 
trimming, cut the drawers sufficiently long to 
allow for them. One-eighth inch or finer 
tucks in clusters of three or five are effective, 
either with or without an insertion of lace or 
embroidery between the clusters. All the 
edges are joined in felled seams. 




Facing on Open Drawers 



Open Drawers are made with the seam run- 
ning from the front belt to the back, not 
joined, but hemmed or faced, as the pattern provides. If a facing is applied, stitch it to 
each leg portion from the waist to the front around past the joining seam, easing the 
facing on the curve, and continuing it up the back edge to the waist. Turn in the free 
edge of the facing and hem it to the inside of the garment. The manner of applying 
the facing is shown in Fig. 134. 

In Fig. 135 is shown a pair of drawers that can take the place of a short petticoat, as 
they are cut in circular shape and fall quite full about the knees. The material is 
fine nainsook, long-cloth or French cambric. The yoke is circular in shape, and 
should be fitted to the figure as shown in Fig. 132 on page 41. 

The lower edges of the drawers are 
turned up in narrow hems and the lace 
edge is inserted in the manner shown in 
Fig. 34, page 10. The lace may be fulled 
very slightly by drawing the strong 
thread which will be found in the top 
edge of nearly all laces. This will keep 
the lace from hooping; at the same time 
it is not full enough to look like a ruffle. 
Or, the lace edge may be whipped on to 
the edge of the hem by hand. 

The rows of lace insertion are then 
applied in even rows. Measure with a 
notched card as shown in Fig. 24, page 
7. Baste close to the edge of inser- 
tion. Turn to the wrong side and cut 
the material to within a narrow seam 
of the bastings. Turn in a very narrow 
hem which must come exactly under the 
edge of lace so that the work may be 
turned to the right side and the lace 
stitched on by machine, at the same 
time sewing in the narrow hem. An illus- 
tration of this method is given in Fig , 1 35. 




■Jx*^ 



s %S.W e 



3-*ui>* 



Fi$. i35. Circular Drawers on Fitted Yokt> 



MAKING AND FINISHING UNDERGARMENTS 



43 




Voke Sewed to Drawers 



If the ruffle at the lower edge of the garment is straight, the lace edge and insertion 
may be applied as illustrated in Figs. 34 and 3.3, on page 10. There are different 
ways of fitting the drawers at the waist. (Fig. 136.) If there is fulness at the 
top of the drawers, gather the top of the drawers according to the instructions given 
with the pattern, and stroke tin gathers. The right side is lapped across the left at the 
front. The center front of both the yoke-pieces is marked with a colored thread, and 
the lower edge of one yoke is basted in a seam to the gathered top of the drawers, match- 
ing the notches in both, and making the seam toward the outside. The garment may 
then be tried on, to see if the distribution of the gathers is correct. 

The drawers portion may 
need raising a little into the 
yoke at either front or back 
if the figure requires it. After 
any needed alterations are 
made, the seam is stitched. 
The second piece is then 
placed even with the one 
joined to the drawers, but 
toward its wrong side — that 
is, the inner side of the gar- 
ment— and a seam is stitched 
around the top or waist edge 
that will hold the two yokes 
together. The one on the 
inside (that has not been seamed to the drawers) is then turned over toward the outside, 
covering the top of the seam just made. Its lower edge is turned under a seam's width 
and is basted and afterwards stitched on, on the outside, to cover the seam joining the top 
of the drawers to the first yoke. This process may be readily understood by examining 
Fig. 136. 

Drawers are sometimes fitted with darts instead of a yoke. In this case the darts are 
closed with felled seams, and the plaits laid in the back to hold the fulness in place are 
often stitched down a short distance on each fold edge. The waist edge of the drawers 
i- finished with a bias facing. Fig. 137 illustrates the upper portion of a pair of drawers 
showing the first row of stitching. Clip 
the scam at the curves, turn over the 
facing and stitch at the top and bottom, 
as shown at the right-hand side of the 
illustration. The drawstrings or tapes 
are put in, one on each side, and sewed 
firmly. < >r, the drawers may be fastened 
by a button and buttonhole. If preferred, 
the fulness, instead of being laid in a 
plait, can be gathered by the drawstring. 
Insert the tape and fasten the ends se- 
curely where the gathers begin. 

Drawers cut in this way are not at all 
difficult to fit. There is just one point 
that needs the same care in these gar- 
ments as in the skirt, and that is the ad- 
justment to the figure that has very full abdominal development and is flat at the back. 
In such a case, if the drawers ate cut exactly by the pattern, they will draw from the back 
to the front. If the waistline of the drawers is raised a little in the back, to counteract 
this tendency the entire garment will be made shorter. The correct way is to allow an 
extra inch or two at the top on the fronts in cutting, tapering the allowance away to 
nothing just over the hip. In patterns for the larger waist measures a moderate 
allowance is made at the abdomen, but when the development is unusually large, it is 
better to make a still greater allowance in cutting. 

For Closed Drawers, cut the slits at the side like the pattern and finish with a con- 
tinuous placket. The two parts are seamed together with a flat-fell and the top is gath- 




Facing at Top of Drawers 



44 



THE DRESSMAKER 



ered. The lap at the front of the opening is turned under at the joining, and the 
one at the back extends out to form an underlap. The facing or yokes are attached 
in the manner illustrated on page 43. A button and buttonhole is used for fastening the 
front of the drawers to the back. 

If worn with a waist, buttonholes only are needed in the ends of the bands, and at the 

center front and center back. 




Fig. 138. 



Hand-Embroidered Corset 
Cover 



CORSET COVERS have the widest range of design 
and style among undergarments. They should be 
carefully planned as to material, trimming and style, 
for they often serve as a slip under a thin waist. 

For a stout, short-waisted figure a pointed neck both 
back and front will be found more becoming than a 
round outline. Ruffles extending across the front of 
the corset cover will give a good figure to a slight per- 
son and serve to hold out the blouse. This style of 
cover usually closes at the back. The pattern is perfo- 
rated for the position of the ruffles. Corset covers can 
very easily be made by hand, and they are extremely 
dainty, pleasant handwork. 

Hand-made underclothes are steadily gaining pop- 
ularity with the general use of French underwear. Its 
very simplicity expresses refinement and daintiness. 
Very narrow tucks, insets of lace and motifs of hand 
embroidery are used as trimming. 

A dainty corset cover may be made of either nain- 
sook or cambric. The under-arm and shoulder seams 
are put together with veining or stitched with a French or felled seam. If a peplum is 
used, it is fitted like the yoke of drawers. Gather the corset cover at the waist as directed 
in the pattern instructions, and sew it to the peplum in a French seam. Or, the seams 
may be turned from the inside, and a narrow bias strip basted on and stitched over the 
seam. This bias seam is hemmed over as a narrow facing. If preferred, the waist may 
be gathered into a strip of beading and sewed on in a French seam. The bottom edge 
has HI^HH 

Finish the neck and armholes with embroi- 
dered scallops as shown in Fig. 138. Buttonhole 
tiny slashes for the ribbon draw-strings. A few 
sprays of flowers scattered over the front or a 
monogram in hand embroidery makes a pretty 
trimming. Medallions may be purchased and 
applied if the band embroidery seems too labor- 
ious. Valenciennes insertion inset in the fronts, 
combined with a little embroidery in a fancy 
design, makes a .dainty trimming. Several 
methods for applying laces, etc., are given in 
Chapter XV, "Unlined Waists." 

If a plainer corset cover is desired, the top is 
hemmed and beading and lace overhanded to it 
as a finish. A very narrow bias facing is basted 
around the right side of the armhole, stitched, 
basted over on the wrong side, and stitched again. 
Care must be taken in basting on the bias strip 
to give plenty of ease around the curve of the 
armhole so that it will not draw when turned over, 
the armhole after it is faced. 




Fig. 139. A Chemise Nightgown 

The lace edge should be sewed on 



COMBINATION GARMENTS dispose of much of the useless material about the hips 
and waist, are excellent for stout figures, and give a better fit to the one-piece dress. 

If the corset cover and skirt are cut in one, the garment is basted and carefully fitted 
and stitched in French seams. If cut separately, each is fitted and them basted to- 



MAKING AND FI-NI5HING UNDERGARMENTS 45 

gether with the scam toward the outside, which is afterwards covered with narrow bead- 
ing. The skirt is closed directly in line with the closing of the corset cover. The skirt 
opening is made the necessary length and finished like the placket for underwear, which 
is shown in the process of making on page 34. 

NIGHTGOWNS may be made of cambric, nainsook, long cloth, dimity or cross-bar 
materials, and trimmed with lace, embroidery, or a touch of handwork. The parts 
are joined by French seams and a hem turned up at the bottom. 

The Chemise Nightgown slips over the head and may be gathered into a fitted yoke or 
finished with an insertion or beading. (Fig. 139.) It may also be gathered into a binding of 
sheer lawn, trimmed in any pretty fashion. The binding should be about three-quar- 
ters of an inch wide after it is joined. The ribbon is run through it instead of through 
a beading. If desired, beading or narrow insertion may be used for attaching this 
binding to the gown. Beading is inserted between the turned-in edges of the binding 
and all three edges held together with one row of stitching. The beading is then joined 
to the garment in a tiny French seam. The ends of the binding are made to meet in 
front so as to form openings through which the ribbon is passed. 

In a High-Neck Gown the opening is cut as directed in the pattern instructions. The 
edges are usually turned under for hems, the right lapping over the left and machine- 
st itched across the bottom. Another kind of finish for the neck is a strap, yoke-shaped 
to fit the neck of the gown smoothly. It gives a simple method of closing, one side en- 
tirely covering the other. The strap may be trimmed with feather-stitching or hand em- 
broidery. When the yoke is not lined, the outer edge is turned under in a narrow hem. 
A buttoned through closing is better for this style than the fly. The neck decoration is 
usually repeated in the sleeve. 

The Sleeves are gathered twice at the top. Baste the seam in the armhole with the 
seam toward the outside and stitch close to the edge. Now turn the seam and stitch 
again, having the finished seam at the inside of the garment. Care must be taken that 
the gathers are evenly distributed between the notches of the pattern, and drawn 
down straight from the first stitching. 



CHAPTER IX 

INFANTS' CLOTHES 

AN INFANT'S WARDROBE should be characterized by extreme daintiness of mate- 

/V rials, trimming and workmanship. Baby clothes are not subject to sudden 

* * changes of style, but there are improvements instituted from time to time, 

primarily with a view to insuring greater comfort to the child in the wearing of the 

garments and to making the process of dressing an infant a less tedious operation. 

Buttons and buttonholes are not desirable, except 
on the dresses, slips and outer garments. 

SHIRTS should be made either of softest baby 
flannel, or of fine linen, nainsook, etc. Every stitch 
should be made by hand. 

In the Flannel Shirt it is necessary to exercise 
great care in finishing all of the seams, hems and 
turnings as flatly as possible, as otherwise they are 
likely to render the child uncomfortable. The 
shoulder and under-arm seams should be pressed 
open, after 
stitching, and 
both seam 
edges catch- 
stitched on the 
inside of the 
garment. 

Double turn- 
ed hems are fre- 
quently dis- 
pensed with on the front and lower edges of shirts. 
In some cases the flannel is turned only once and a 
loose buttonhole or crochet - stitch in soft Saxony 
wool or silk floss is made over the edge. This 
finish is shown in Fig. 140. 

A Linen or Nainsook Shirt is made with 
felled seams. The front and lower edges are finished 

with a hem, and the 




Fig. 1 40. Flannel Shirt with 
Crocheted F.dges 



neck and armholes 
with narrow bias fa- 
cings of the material. 
Around the neck the 
facing serves also as 
a casing for the drawstring. 




Fig. 141. An Infant's Linen Shirt 



If fine lace is used as trim- 
ming, the armhole edges are not faced, but are merely 
rolled and the lace is whipped to them. (Fig. 141.) 

A FLANNEL BAND for an infant is shown in Fig. 142. 
It is of flannel twenty-seven inches long and about six 
inches wide. All the edges are turned over on the outside, 
one and a quarter inches and catch-stitched. (Fig. 142.) 

A PINNING BLANKET or BARRIE-COAT is used in place of the flannel petticoat. 
After the skirt portion is cut, the front and lower edges are turned in hems and feather* 
stitched on the outside. (See Fig. 143 on the following page.) 

46 



Fig. 142. A Flannel Band 



INFANTS' CLOTHES 



47 




Pinning-Blanket with Tie finds 



The body is cut from fine cambric, and though the edges may be bound or faced, it is 
better I., make the body double. Join the shoulder edges of both the outside and inside, 
and press the seams open. Lay the two body portions evenly together, with the 
shoulder scams of both toward the outside. Stitch a seam around" the upper edge 
and across the lower edge to the notches. The ends are left open until the tape is in- 
serted. The body is stitched between the notches after the skirt is joined to it. Aftei 
they are stitched, the two body 
parts are turned to bring the 
seam edges inside. The edges at 
the pointed ends are turned in 
and the end of the piece of tape 
is slipped into each opening. 
Gather the skirt and join it to 
the body as shown in Fin. 143. 
Baste around the armhole about 
one inch from the edge to keep 
the two portions evenly togeth- 
er. Clip the raw edges and turn 
one in a seam's width and baste 
it; then turn the other edge in 
and baste it to the first. Stitch 
by machine or overhand the two 
folded edges together to finish 
the armhole. The edges of the 
body portion should be basted and then featherstitched. Baste about an inch each side 
of the perforations that indicate the opening to be made at the left side. Cut through the 
perforations and bind the opening with soft ribbon or silk tape. If preferred, the skirt 
may be mounted on a straight band, made double, instead of on the shaped body. The 
straight band can be lapped and hemmed. 

AN INFANT'S PETTICOAT is finished according to the material of which it is made. 

The Flannel Petticoat has the scams stitched and finished as shown in Figs. 11 or 12, 

on page 5. The bottom of the skirt may 
be embroidered in scallops, or the hem 
finished as shown in Fig. 131, page 39. 

A flannel petticoat which hangs from 
the shoulders and has no separate body 
or placket is shown in F'ig. 144. It is fas- 
tened on one or both shoulders by rib- 
bons or buttons and buttonholes. The 
neck and armholes of this style of petti- 
coat are usually bound with ribbon or 
tape, though a scalloped edge worked 
with white embroidery silk makes the lit- 
tle garment much prettier. If it is to 
be embroidered do not cut out the neck 
and armholes, but mark the outline of 
the pattern with a colored thread. The 
design can then be stamped along the out- 
line and cut out after the embroidery is 
done. 

Fig. .44. Flannel Skirt. Closing on the Shoulders The under-arm seams are finished in 

Transfer Scallop Design 10420 ., ... .^, . , , . , 

the regulation manner with catch-stiteh- 
ing or featherstitching before the embroidery is begun. 

The Nainsook or ( 'ambric Petticoat is finished in French seams. The lower edge of the 
skirt may be finished with a deep hem or with tucks, insertion and etlging. The upper 
edge is gathered with fine stitches and joined to the body after the placket has been 
hemmed with a very narrow hem on one side, and one three-quarters of an inch wide on 
the other. Lap the wide hem over the narrow (Fig. 145), and tack firmly at the bottom 




48 



THE DRESSMAKER 





Fig. 146. Petticoat Joined to Single Body 



Fig. 145. Hemmed Placket 




of the placket with 

two rows of machine 

stitching, preferably 

running slanting. 
The body is either 

cut single and faced 

at the neck and arm- 
hole after the shoul- 
der and under-arm 

are joined in a 

French seam (Fig. 

146), or cut of two 

layers of cambric, 

one serving as the 

lining. (Fig. 147.) 
If a single body 

is used the seam 

joining the body 

and skirt is made toward the inside. A bias strip of cambric 

is placed next to the petticoat in the same seam, which is then 

stitched, turned over and hemmed to the body. 

If made double, stitch the under-arm seams of both outside 
and lining; place the right sides of the material 
together and stitch all except the lower edge 
and shoulder seams. Clip the curved edges, 
turn the body right side out and crease along 
the sewing line. It may be stitched again on 
the outside to strengthen the edges and hold 
the seams in position. The top of the petti- 
coat is gathered and basted to the lining with 
the seam toward the inside. Turn this seam 
up on the body; turn in the edge of the out- 
side piece and stitch it over the gathers, cov- 
ering all previous stitchings. The shoulders 
are stitched in a fell seam. 

A SLIP is invariably made very plain and 
loose, of fine, sheer Persian lawn, nainsook or 
dimity. It should be put together with nar- 
row French seams. In the model shown in 



Fig. 147. Petticoat Joined to Double Body 



Fig. 148, the neck is finished with 
a bias binding. A narrow tape 
is run through the binding so that 
the neck can be drawn up to the 
right size when the slip is worn. 
Make an eyelet in the outside of 
the neck-binding just in front of 
the underlapping hem. Pass the 
ribbon through this opening so 
that it will meet the other end that 
comes from the opening of the 
overlapping hem. 

The neck and sleeves, which 
should be gathered into narrow 
bands at the bottom, may be 
edged with a frill of lace. The 
back is cut down through the 




Fig. 1 48. Binding at Neck of Slip 



INFANTS' CLOTHES 



49 



center to the depth given for the opening in the pattern instructions. Each edge of 
the opening is finished with a tiny hem. A plait is then made deep enough to bring the 
opening back one-half inch from the edge. It is held in place by a slanting row of stitch- 
irg at the end of the opening. (Fig. 149.) 

THE KIMONO or WRAPPER is a very practical garment and 
may be made of flannel, cashmere or any light-weight woolen 
material. A very pretty little garment may be made of French flan- 
nel, dotted or plain, with a shaped band of contrasting silk or flan- 
nek (Fig. 150.) 

The garment is collarless, and the neck and front edges, as well 
as the sleeves, are finished with shaped bands. The band is basted 
to the inside of the wrapper, along the neck and front edges. 
After it is stitched on, the band is rolled over on the outside of the 
wrapper and basted in such a manner that it extends a trifle 
beyond the joining seam. The other edge of the band is turned 
in and basted flat to the material and is held in position by a simple 
featherstitch. When a straight band is used, one long edge is 
joined to the wrap- 
per with the seam 
toward the out- 
side ; the other 
edge is then turned 
under and basted 




Fig. 149. Finish at 
Closing 




Fig. 150. Applying a Facing 



over the seam as shown in Fig. 151. 

French knots and various fancy 
stitches, scallops or little trailing vines 
of embroidery can be used very effect- 
ively in the trimming of these wrap- 
pers. Silk or satin ribbon may be 
used for the straight band. Some of 
these kimono wrappers are lined 
throughout with soft India silk. The 
wrapper design mentioned above is per- 
forated in the correct length for a house 
sack. This convenient little garment 
is made like the wrapper in every par- 
ticular, except the length. 

A dainty little sack is made of white 
cashmere lined with pale pink India silk. 

Both the outside and lining portions are cut exactly alike, the 
seams stitched and pressed open. The sack and lining are then 
basted together, with scams turned toward the inside. The 
sleeve portions are gathered separately at the top. Sew the out- 
side material of the sleeve in at the armhole. Turn the raw 
edge of the sleeve lining under, gather it and hem to the arm- 
hole. A tiny turnover collar may be added with the same kind 
of finish. The edges of the sack may be turned in and secured 
with a row of featherstitching, or they may be buttonholed 
together by a scalloped edge. Both finishes are shown in Chapter 
IV "Practical and Ornamental Stitches." 

THE DRESS is made practically in the same way as the slip. 
Nothing but the finest material should be used, batiste, nainsook 
or sheer linen. Simple designs with a few hand-run tucks, a bit 
of embroidery, featherstitching or drawn - work make a far 
daintier gown than heavy material, lavishly trimmed with lace 
or machine embroidery. There are many excellent patterns for 
baby dresses, and one who has the time and taste to spend on 
Straight Band the layette will find it a fascinating occupation. 




50 



THE DRESSMAKER 



A Dainty Yoke may be made by over-handing alternate rows of lace insertion and em- 
broidery together. Fine tucking rolled and whipped to lace insertion, also makes a pretty 
yoke. Narrow veining or hemstitched beading as shown in Fig. 152, joins the yoke to 
the dress. It is rolled and whipped on, or sewed in a tiny Frenjh seam. The shoulder 
seams are joined by beading, which is also used as a finish for the neck and sleeves. 

// the Skirt is made of flouncing with an embroidered or hemstitched edge, the fulness 
under the arm is usually disposed of in an 
inverted plait. This plait takes the place of a 
gored seam and enables one to keep the out- 
lines at the bottom perfectly straight. The 
edges are joined at the back to a convenient 
depth for the opening and a placket is finished 
as shown in Fig. 148. 

In Cutting a dress from any plain material, 
follow the instructions on the pattern. The con- 
cealment of the back seam is usually arranged 
for under the plait. The edge may be hemmed 
by hand, tucked or ornamented in any way 
desired. The placket opening is cut and fin- 
ished in the center of the back piece. 

Some of these patterns are arranged so 
that the material may be cut with a bias seam 
under the arm, if it should be desired, which gives the garment a curved lower edge. 




Fi§. 152. Yoke for Infants' Dress 



THE CLOAK and OUTDOOR GARMENTS are made more or less elaborately according 
to one's taste and needs. White is generally used and daintiness and simplicity are the 
most desirable characteristics. In summer, pretty little cloaks are made of pique and 
cashmere. The lower and front edges may be hemmed by hand or held in place by feather- 
stitching on the outside, or the hem may be stitched by machine. The same finish is 

carried out at the neck and wrist. The 
buttonholed edge is a suitable finish for 
pique. 

Even for colder weather cashmere 
may still be used with a warm interlin- 
ing. Bedford cord and broadcloth make 
excellent coats. Wool wadding or a soft 
flannel are best for the interlining. It 
should be cut without the seam and 
hem allowance Instead of making the 
regular seam, draw the shoulder and 
under-arm edges together with a loose 
overhand or ball-stitch, making them 
lie perfectly flat. The outside of the 
coat is turned under at the bottom and 
catch-stitched to the interlining. 

The Lining is cut like the outside and 
seamed in a regular seam, which is 
afterward pressed open. Place the 
seams toward the inside and baste the 
lining to the coat. The lining at the 
bottom of the coat should be one-half 
inch shorter than the coat after its lower 
edge has been turned up. (Fig. 153.) 

Place the lining in the sleeves; gather 
sleeve and lining separately at the top. 
Stitch the sleeve in the coat leaving the 
lining loose. (Fig. 154.) Later it is 
hemmed down over the stitching of the ' 
How LininS and Interlining Are Used armhole. 




INFANTS' CLOTHES 



5! 



The Collar is made unlined, with a facing of the lining material. It is stitched to the 
neck of the coat, and the lining of the coat hemmed against this stitching. If the coat 
has a cape it is sewed on like the collar. The edge of the collar, the wrist and the 

cape may be trimmed with fancy braid, lace or 

handwork. 

The cloak is preferably lined with soft China 
silk, and if wool wadding is used, the wool is 
picked away from the cheese-cloth around the 
seams to avoid bulkiness at these points. 

LITTLE SHOES and SLIPPERS made of a 
washable material are a pretty part of the lay- 
ette. The pique or other material is cut accord- 
ing to a slipper pattern, following the directions 
given on the pattern envelope. The sole is cut 
from silesia or some other stout lining fabric. 
The sole and upper part of the shoe should be 
lined with flannel. The outside material and 
the flannel lining are seamed separately and the 
seams pressed open. They are then basted 
together with their edges even. The upper and 
lower edges of the slipper are bound with a 
bias seam binding. The upper part and the 
sole are overhanded together on the wrong 

side and the shoe is turned right side out. The ankle straps are lined with cambric. 

Work the buttonhole in the right hand strap of one slipper and in the left hand strap 

of the other. Flat bows run through tiny buckles, or rosettes of baby ribbon, can be 

used to trim the bootees. 




Fig. 154. Detail of Sleeve Lining 



CHAPTER X 

CHILDRLN'5 CLOTHES 



CHILDRLN'5 'CLOTHLS should be made very simply. Use a good quality ma- 
terial and suitably childish colors. The one-piece dress is an accepted style 
for small boys and girls, and can be made of wool, linen or cotton materials. 
Directions for finishing dresses made of sheer materials will be found in Chapter 
IX, "Infants' Clothes." For instructions on the making of a sailor or naval suit, see 
Chapter XL 

THE RUSSIAN DRESS has a side-front closing, and the buttonholes may be made 
through the material or in a fly applied underneath the over- 
lapping edge. Patterns for this style of garment are to be had 
either with or without plaits. A good design for little folks 
is a perfectly plain dress confined at the waist with a belt of 
leather or of the dress material. An inverted plait is sometimes 
allowed at the under-arm seams, which gives extra fulness to 
the skirt. The neck and wrists, and sometimes the closing 
edges, are usually finished with narrow bands. 

A Plaited Design is very becoming to little girls. The front 
and back portions of the dress are laid in plaits which are 
stitched only to the belt line. The closing is arranged under one 
of the plaits, either at the front or back. Before cutting out, 




Fig. 1 55. Stitching on Box 

Plait Finished with 

Crow's-Foot 



place the front and back of pattern on the 
material, and if piecing is necessary, plan to 
have the joining concealed under a plait. 
Mark all perforations and notches plainly 
on the material. To make the box plaits, 
bring the lines of perforations together; baste 
and stitch through them. Bring the cen- 
ter of the plait over the line of stitching 
and spread it to form a box plait. Baste 
the plait in position along both folds and 
stitch it down, if desired. A crow's-foot 
(Fig. 155) worked at the end of each row 
of stitching may be used. The method of 
making a crow's-foot is given in Chapter IV, 
"Practical and Ornamental Stitches." 

The Closing, cut under a plait and fin- 
ished with laps for buttons and button- 
holes, is shown in Fig. 156. The slash for the 
opening was made under the plait a seam's 
width from the sewing. The laps are made 
double, and when attached should be a little 
narrower than the plait which covers them. 
By referring to the illustration, the method 
of joining the laps to the edges of the open- 
ing will be readily understood. 

A Buttonhole Fly is provided in some patterns by a hem allowed under the plait. The 
edge is turned under once, and basted as for a hem, but not stitched. The raw edge 
is not turned in a seam, but is inserted in the box plait and secured with the one stitch- 

52 




Fig. 1 56. Laps Finishing Closing Edges 



CHILDREN'S CLOTHES 



53 




ing. (Fig. 157.) If the hem is not allowed on the pattern 
the edge is brought over to the line of perforations, where" 
it is basted and stitched. The center of the plait is 
brought over to the line of stitching forming the box 
plait, and is then basted in position. To the raw edge 
under the plait, stitch a lengthwise strip of material cut 
to extend to within one-quarter of an inch 
of the outer edge of the plait, to form the fl}- 
for the buttonholes. Hem the free edge of 
the strip against the line of sewing. In- 
structions for the most suitable finish for 
each garment will be found on the pattern. 
The button side of the garment can be fin- 
ished with a hem or an underlap. (Fig. 158.) 
A Yoke can be joined to the front of a 
dress as shown in Fig. 159 on the following 
page. Cut the yoke and turn the edge 
under a seam's width, clipping the edge 
where necessary to make it lie flat. Baste 
the yoke over the top of the front of the 
dress. To the wrong side, baste a bias 
strip of material with its edges turned under. 
Place two rows of stitching across the yoke, 
stitching from the outside. They will catch 
through the bias facing that is basted un- 
derneath, and which covers the seam, ma- 
king a neat finish on the inside. This finish 
is desirable for a summer dress, as it makes 
it unnecessary to line the yoke. If a lining 
is used, however, it is cut like the yoke pat- 
tern, and the top of the dress portion is en- 



Fig. 157. Hem Used as Fly Under Plait 

closed between the turned-under edges 
of the yoke and its lining. 

Sleeves are made in various ways. 
They may be gathered at the wrist and 
set into a cuff or wristband, or the lower 
part of the sleeve may be stitched in 
plaits forming its own cuff. After lay- 
ing the plaits according to the pattern 
instructions, baste them flat to the 
sleeve and stitch through both plait and 
sleeve. Stitch the seam of the sleeve at 
the openings, with the extensions beyond 
the edges of the seam. On the front 
edge this extension is turned under for 
a hem, and on the other extension a tiny 
hem is turned in along the upper end and 
the long side. This extension is meant 
for an underlap. Underface the wrisi as 
shown in Fig. 161. Close the opening 
with buttons and buttonholes. (Fig. 162.) 

A Cu/J, if one is used, is made of two 
pieces of material cut from the cuff pat- 
tern. These two pieces are basted to- 
gether, with the right sides facing each 
other. The stitching is made close to 




Fig. 158. A Fly Stitched on Under Plait 



54 



THE DRESSMAKER 



the edge, and runs around the two ends 
and the lower edge. The cuff is then 
turned right side out and carefully basted 
so that the stitching will come in the 
crease. Join the upper edge of the cuff 
portion to the lower edge of the sleeve, 
with the seam toward the outside. The 
other cuff portion is turned under and 
basted over the seam. Stitching at the 
edges, around all four sides, finishes the 
cuff. 

Buttons and buttonholes are also used 
in closing the cuff, which is made to lap 
the width of the extension. Fig. 160 shows 
the cuff basted to the sleeve in prepara- 
tion for stitching. If the sleeve has a 
box plait extending to the top, gather 

the sleeve from the edges of the plait to the notches, but do not gather the sleeve 
the box plait. 




Fig. 159. Attaching Yoke to Front 






Right Side 
Fig. 160. Method of 
Applying a Cuff 

A French seam is the 
best finish for all light- 
weight cottons, but for 
heavy cotton and wool 
materials the armhole 
seams must be either 
bound or overcast. Di- 
rections for making 
French seams are given 
in Chapter I. Two rows 

of gatherings are used along all the edges that are to be gathered, 
should be the exact width given in the pattern instructions. 

Sometimes these little dresses are trimmed with an embroidered star or other em- 
blem such as are used on sailor suits. For appropriate designs for this purpose see 
the opposite page. 



Wrong Side 

Fig. 161. Method of 

Finishing Sleeve 



Bight Side 
Fig. 1 62. Finished Sleeve 
Closed 



The finished hem 



A 



CHAPTER X! 

5AILOR OR NAVAL 5UITS 

LMOST invariably the small boy and girl, if given any voice in the choosing of their 
clothes, will select the suit that looks most like a uniform. Probably this is the 
reason why the styles permitting the use of brass buttons, emblems or insignia 
meet with such general and long-continued favor. 



EMBLEMS and CHEVRONS in the various groups, or sets of anchors, bars, eagles and 
stars, finished and ready to sew on, can be bought, but they are never as satisfactory as 
the designs that can be stamped on the dress itself. .Sometimes the figures are worked 
in the center of a piece of broadcloth or linen, which is cut square or oblong, or possibly 
in shield shape, and attached to the sleeve with a row of catch-stitching. 




Fig. 1 63. Emblems and Chevrons 

The mother who makes her children's clothes is sometimes confronted with the problem 
of selecting some kind of an embroidered emblem, and for this reason we offer the differ- 
ent combinations illustrated above. The chevrons or stripes are not padded but 
should be made of strips of scarlet three-eighths of an inch wide, separated one-fourth 
inch and sewed on flat with an overlock stitch of scarlet silk on the edges. 

In working the specialty marks and eagles, an easier plan than the one of cutting the 
figures out of pasteboard and working over them, is to baste a piece of canvas or crino- 
line on the wrong side of the material, and work right through it, cutting the edges of the 
canvas away after the figure has been completed. 

55 



56 



THE DRESSMAKER 



Light-weight twisted embroidery silk, mercerized cotton, or a linen thread may be 
used to advantage, for in this work smoothness is the most desirable feature, and the 
threads should all be placed in such a way as to lie next to one another, but not overlap. 

On suits of galatea, ehambray, linen or any of the pretty cotton materials used for 
children's clothes, the work may be done with cotton, either plain or mercerized. This 
thread is more suitable than silk for suits which need frequent washing. The sleeve 
emblem may be repeated on the front of the blouse or shield, or a simpler design — a stal- 
er anchor, for instance — may be used if preferred. 

THE SAILOR or NAVAL SUIT is one of the most attractive costumes for young girls 
for any season of the year. This type of dress makes excellent school and play dresses. 
The blouse is particularly good for gymnasium suits. There are many modifications of 
the sailor dress, and a great variety of patterns. 

Dark navy-blue flannel and bleached cotton drill are the materials used for these blouses 
or overshirts, as they are called. According to the regulations governing the uniforms 



of officers and enlisted men of the navy, the 
blouses are trimmed with white linen tape, 
drill blouses are made with sailor collar and 
flannel, which are also trimmed with the 

In adapting this style for misses' and girls' 
essary to be governed absolutely by the 
garding color and 
observed in the 
regulation n a v y- 
brown, gray and 
bleached "khaki" 
ered quite correct 
Serge, cheviot, 
panama suiting are 
en materials, while 
gingham, galatea, 
the suitable wash 

The selection of 
the "rating badge" 
blouse makes quite 
study. The navy 
that the rating 
rial, its decoration 
mark, and a class 

For blue clo- 
be embroidered in 
be worked in 





Fig. 165. Rating Badge for 
Chief Master-at-Arms 



dark -blue flannel 
while the cotton 
cuffs of dark-blue 
tape. 

wear, it is not nee- 
ironclad rules re- 
material which are 
navy. Besides the 
blue and white, 
red, and the un- 
shades are consid- 
for sailor dresses, 
prunella cloth and 
appropriate wool- 
linen, duck, pique, 
etc., are a few of 
fabrics. 

the emblems for 
on the sleeve of the 
an interesting 
regulations state 



Fig. 164. Boatswain's Male 
First-Class 



badge shall be made of the garment mate- 
to consist of a spread eagle above a specialty 
chevron. 

thing, the eagle and specialty marks should 
white, and for white clothing they should 
blue silk. The naval uniform regulations 
further order that the rating badge shall be worn by all petty officers of the starboard 
watch on the right sleeve, midway between the shoulder and the elbow ; by all petty 
officers of the port watch the badge is on the left sleeve. This statement eliminates 
any doubt as to the correct placing of the rating badge, as, in accordance with these 
instructions, either sleeve is correct. The chevrons show the class of the officer, while 
the specialty marks indicate his position in the marine service. 

In using these emblems on a girl's blouse, it is a pretty fancy to select the specialty 
marks worn by the father or brother who is enlisted, or even an insignia indicating the 
trade or professional calling followed by a male member of the wearer's family, such as 
engineer, electrician, printer, carpenter, plumber, machinist, etc. The emblem may be 
placed on the shield also, and a five-pointed star should be embroidered on both corners 
of the collar. Excellent transfer stamping patterns can be purchased for the emblems, 
stars, etc. 

TO MAKE THE BLOUSE, baste the seams with notches matching, and try the blouse on, 
either by slipping over the head or lapping the fronts, as directed in the pattern instruc- 
tions. If a yoke-facing is used, the under-arm seams are left open to facilitate the work. 
The shoulder seams of the blouse are joined with the seams toward the outside ; those of 
the yoke-facing toward the wrong side. Stitch and press the seams open. 



SAILOR OR NAVAL SUITS 



57 



The lower edge of the yoke is turned under a 
seam's width. If the yoke has a curved lower 
outline, the turned-under portion at the fullest 
part of the curves must be slightly eased, while 
at the sharp points it must be slashed as shown 
in Fig. 166. Lay the blouse flat on the table, 
spread out its entire length. Place the yoke on 
the blouse so that the shoulder seams come ex- 
actly together and the yoke lies smoothly on 
the blouse. Pin the yoke to hold it in place, 
then baste and stitch it to the blouse. 




Turning Edge of Yoke 



Plaits arc made in the regulation sleeve by 
creasing from the perforations at the bottom to 

the corresponding perforations at cuff depth. These creases are brought over to the 
position marked by perforations and the plaits are stitched along the fold edge before 
the seam is closed. 

The illustration below shows how the blouse may be laid out on the table for conven- 
ience in joining the sleeve. Baste the sleeve to the yoke with the usual three- 

eighths-of-an-inch seam and then stitch it. Turn 
under the- armhole of the blouse three-eighths of 
an inch, baste it over the seam, and fell it down. Make 
a second stitching on the body of the blouse one-quar- 
ter of an inch from the seam. The under-arm and 
sleeve seams have been left open until now, making 
the work easier to handle and also making it possible 
to sew the rating badge on the sleeve properly. 

Close the under-arm seams and the sleeve seams as 
notched, using flat felled seams. A placket is some- 
times made in the sleeve at the wrist, which is closed 
with buttons and buttonholes. The method for ma- 
king this style of sleeve, with and 
without a cuff, is given in Chap- 
ter X, "Children's Clothes." 

A hem is turned at the bot- 
tom of the blouse, and, if the 
pattern instructions direct, an 
elastic is inserted to hold the 
blouse in place. 

THE COLLAR is joined to the 
neck with the seam toward the in- 
side. (Fig. 168.) The collar is 
marked with notches showing 
where it joins the blouse, and, in 
basting it on, the' edge should be 
stretched between the notches to 
fit the corresponding edge of the 
blouse thus causing the collar to 
roll closely about the neck. The outer edges are 
turned under three-eighths of an inch and basted 
down. At the end of the slash in front, the turned- 
under portion tapers away to a point. 

The outer facing is placed on the collar so carefully 
that the roll perforations will come exactly together 
and the ends are slipped under the fronts. (Fig. 169.) 
Baste along the roll perforations. The neck edge 
of the facing is stretched sufficiently to make it lie 
smoothly when the collar is rolled back. After pin- 
ning the collar facing around the neck and down the 




Setting in Sleeve 



58 



THE DRESSMAKER 



^ 



~H 




front, roll the collar and facing over at 
the perforations, and roll the fronts back 
to the single perforations near the front 
edge. Put your hand under the collar 
and smooth it outward, so that it does 
not wrinkle on the collar facing. 

Turn the edge of the collar facing un- 
der, even with the collar. Baste the 
collar and the facing together across the 
bottom and sides, up to the seam join- 
ing the collar and blouse. From that 
point down, take out the pins that 
hold the collar facing to the blouse. 

The collarfacing is trimmed with three 
rows of linen tape, set its own width 
apart and stitched on both edges. If 
you sew the tape on the collar facing 
after the latter is on the blouse, the 
stitching will show on the front of your 
yoke. Across the back of the collar it 
makes no difference, for the facing is on 
top, and the stitching underneath. Baste 




Fig. 168. Basting on Collar 

the linen tape carefully to the collar fa- 
cing and stitch it on both edges. 

After it has been stitched, the collar 
facing can be basted in place under the 
front. A row of stitching as close to the 
edge as possible should run around the 
entire outer edge. The inner edge of 
the collar facing must be turned under 
three-eighths of an inch. Wherever it 
is necessary, it must be clipped, or 
eased, like the edge of the yoke. After 
the edge is turned under, it is basted to 
the blouse. Across the back of the 
neck it is felled to the blouse, covering 
the seam, but down the fronts it is 
stitched with two rows of machine 
stitching, which makes a pretty decora- 
tion on the front of the blouse. Another 
method of attaching a sailor collar is 
given in Chapter XXII, under "The 
Russian Blouse Jacket." 

The shield is cut in one piece and 
may be simply hemmed, or, if preferred, lined throughout with lawn or cambric, 
trimmed with an emblem or star. 

After both blouse and shield are finished, it is practical to make a few buttonholes 
along the neck line of the body part, under the collar, sewing buttons in corresponding posi- 
tions on the shield to prevent it from shifting around out of place. A crow's-foot may be 
made at the lower end of the neck opening in front. 



Fig. 169. Adjusting the Collar Facing 



It is 



THE NECKERCHIEF or TIE worn with the blouse by a sailor of the navy is made of a 



SAILOR OR NAVAL SUITS 



59 





Fig. 171. Detail of Tying Knot 



The Neckerchief Tied 



perfect square of black silk tied in a square knot, leaving ends from four to six inches long. 
This square piece is folded diagonally and then rolled up, with the two overlapping cor- 
ner-, folded into the material and held together by an elastic, as shown in Fig. 170, 
while the other corners are tied at the lower end of the collar in a square knot, with a 

corner extending from each side. By studying Fig. 171 
the method of tying a sailor's knot will be easily under- 
stood. 

TO MAKE THE SKIRT, lay the pattern pieces on the ma- 
terial, paying due 
attention to the 
perforations indi- 
cating the grain 
of the goods. The 
skirt 1 e n g t h 
should first be 
i - certained, and, 
unless allowance 
is madeforahem, 
sufficient length 
should be added 
when cutting. 

If front openings are desired, and arc not provided for in 
the pattern, both edges of the front gore are underfaced 
In the depth <>f a placket opening, with a straight strip 
of material about one and one-half inches wide. The 
front edge of each side gore should have an underlap 
tn the same depth, which should be about one inch and a 
half wide when finished. 
Join the cores together with stitched, felled seams, continuing the stitching along the 

opening. Baste the hem. If the skirt is to be plaited, the plaits will give sufficient 

material for the underlap. See Chapter XXI, "Skirts." After the skirt has been 

fitted, the plaits are stitched near the edge down 

tu the required depth. 

For a back lacing, the back plait is stitched sepa- 
rately from the skirt and the fold edges worked with 
six or eight eyelets, done in the same manner as in- 
structed on page 15. A black silk lacing or silk tape 
is laced through the eyelets. The navy regulations 
demand that the finished lacing appear like Fig. 173, 

The up- 
per edge 1 if 

the front 

gore is fin- 
ished with 

a straight 

belt t w o 

i n c his 

wide. A 

continuous 

bell of the 

same width 

IS a 1 1 ached 

to the side 

and back 
gores of tin- skirt. The belts are cut single and lined, with an interlining added if it is 
necessary. Three buttonholes are made at each side of the front gore, two on the skirt 
part and one on the belt as shown in Fig. 172. The sailor blouse may be used with a 
boy's suit. Instructions for making trousers will be found in Chapter XXIII. 




Front Placket of Skirt 




Regulation Naval Lacing 



CHAPTER XII 

AN EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT FOR DRESSMAKING 



DRESSMAKING, like any other form of work, will give the best results when it is 
done with the best equipment. "Best" does not mean the most expensive. A 
three-dollar pine table of the right height and size for sewing and cutting is a bet- 
ter table for dressmaking than a fifty-dollar mahogany sewing-table just big 
enough to hold your scissors and work-basket. 

THE SEWING-ROOM. Every woman who sews or who has sewing done at home 
should have a light, well-equipped sewing-room. It need not be large, but it should 
have a good light by day and the artificial light should be properly placed and shaded. 
The floor should be covered by a clean sheet or linen drugget — sometimes called a crum- 
cloth. This covering keeps light-colored material from becoming soiled, and also enables 
you to leave the sewing-room in perfect order at the end of the day, for all the scraps and 
tlireads can be picked up in the cloth. 

The room should be furnished with comfortable, straight chairs and a table large 
enough to lay out a skirt or coat for cutting and sewing. If it is a regular sewing-table 
you can keep your shears, pins, etc., in the drawer. The table should have a smooth, hard, 
even surface and should be of comfortable height, so that you can sit at it with your feet 
under it as you would sit at a writing-table. Never sew with your work on your lap. It 
makes you sit in a fatiguing position, strains your eyes and back, and stretches and crum- 
ples your work. Lay your 
sewing on the table, letting 
the table support its weight. 
A big chest of drawers is use- 
ful. Keep one drawer for 
buttons, boxes, hooks and eyes, 
bones, etc., another for pat- 
terns and a third for left-over 
pieces of materials. Keep all 
pieces of material as long as 
the garment is in use, in case 
you wish to mend or alter it. 
There should be hooks on the 
wall, coat and skirt hangers, 
and a silkoline curtain to draw 
over dresses, etc., that are left 
hanging overnight. 



SHEARS AND SCISSORS. 

Dressmaking shears should 
be about nine or ten inches 
long. Never use scissors for 
cutting. The shears should be 
kept well sharpened so that they 
will cut a clean, even edge and 
not fret and chew the material. 
The best shears for dressmak- 
ing are known as the "bent" 
shears. (Pig. 174.) They are 




Fig. 1 74. The Sewing Lquipment 



60 



AN E.FFJCIENT EQUIPMENT FOR DRESSMAKING 61 

bent in this way so as to raise the material as little as possible in cutting and so prevent 
the under layer from slipping in cutting two thicknesses of material. A good pair of bent 
shears can be had for a dollar and a quarter. Do not buy a cheap, poor pair. Good steel 
will last for many years. Do not use your shears for cutting threads, etc. You will 
need a pair of scissors and also a pair of buttonhole scissors. 

WEIGHTS. When your material is laid out smoothly on the table for cutting it should 

be held in place by four round iron weights 
weighing one or two pounds. (Fig. 174.) 
You can get them at the stationer's and 
they cost about fifteen cents apiece. Or 
you can use the same sort of weights you 
use for your kitchen scales. 




Fig. 1 74A. The Sleeve-board 



PINS, NEEDLES, ET CETERA. Clean, 
unbent pins are important. Small pins 
are better than large, and fine steel pins 
should be used on silk or any material that will mark. Never push a pin through a fabric. 
Use the points only and take up as little of the material as possible. 

You will need a thimble that fits correctly, needles of all sizes, basting cotton, different 
colored cottons for marking tailor's tacks, chalk, a yard-stick and a tape-measure. Learn 
to use your tape-measure accurately, for one of the points of fine dressmaking is the differ- 
ence between an eighth of an inch and a quarter, a quarter of an inch and three-eight lis. 

IRONS. You should have either an electric iron and two ordinary irons, or else three 
ordinary irons. The two extra irons are used to hold the third in an inverted position in 
steaming velvet. An eight-pound smoothing-iron is the most satisfactory type for pressing. 

IRONING-BOARD. Skirts and coats can be pressed on your long laundry ironing- 
board or on your sewing-table. Seams should be pressed over the curved edge of an iron- 
ing-board so that the seam edges will not be marked on the garment. 

A SLEEVE-BOARD which can be used for sleeves and short seams can be made from 
a board two or three feet long, and tapering from five or six inches in width at one end to 
three inches at the other. (Fig. 174A.) The ends and edges should be rounded and the 
board should have an inner covering of flannel or a similar wool material, and an outer 
cover of smooth cotton cloth. (Fig. 174A.) 

A TAILOR'S CUSHION is used for pressing darts and curved seams. (Fig. 174B.) 
It is ham shaped and is stuffed tightly with cotton rags. Cut two pieces, eighteen 

by fourteen inches, making them narrower at one end. (Fig. 174B.) Round off all the 

edges. Stitch the seam with a close stitch. 



THE SEWING-MACHINE should be of a good, reliable make. You will get full 
directions with it, and in using it be careful to observe the correct tension, length of stitch, 
etc. Tucking and gathering, etc., can be 
done on a machine. 

THE DRESS-FORM. It is necessary in 
dressmaking to have a perfect duplicate of 
your own figure on which you can try your 
clothes as you make them. 

Buy a dress-form one size smaller than 
your bust measure. If you have a thirty- 
six-inch bust, buy a thirty-four-inch dress- 
form. It should have an extension stand 
that can be lowered to your skirt length. 
The stand should be on casters so that you 
can move it around and turn it easily. It is Fig. 174B. The Tailor's Cushion 




62 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 1 75. The Padded Dress-Form 



Press the seams open, 
overcast or bone them 
the armholes and 
neck to keep them 
from stretching. 
Malce up the single sleeve you cut with the rest of 
the princess lining, following the directions given with 
the pattern. Baste it into the lining and try it on to be 
sure that it is the right length and sets comfortably on 
the arm. Fit the sleeve as close to the arm as possible. 
Then rip the sleeve out, leaving the gathers at the top. 
Stitch and press open the sleeve seams. 

Baste the collar to the right-hand side of the lining, try 
on to be sure that it is the right size, and then stitch it to 
the right side of the lining. The collar closing is at the • 
center back and the lower edge on the left side will be 
sewed to the lining later, three-eighths of an inch below 
the neck edge of the lining. 

Stitch the fronts about an eighth of an inch back of 
each fold edge. Put the lining on, pin the fronts evenly 
together and have some one turn up the lower edge of 



not necessary for you to have a wire skirt frame. 

Buy a princess lining, buying it by your bust meas- 
ure. If you are long or short waisted, round-shouldered 
or over-erect or have any other slight peculiarity of 
physique, alter your pattern according to the instruc- 
tions in Chapter XIV, "The Use of Butterick Patterns." 

Cut the princess lining from unbleached muslin or 
natural-colored linen or duck. The material should be 
of a firm, strong quality so that it will not stretch and it 
should be thoroughly shrunken before it is used. In 
cutting the lining out, cut one sleeve. 

Lay the pattern on the material, following the direc- 
tions given on the pattern envelope. Pin it on care- 
fully and cut, following the edges of the pattern exactly. 
Clip the notches distinctly but not too deeply, and mark 
the working perforations with tailor's tacks, using dif- 
ferent-colored cottons for the different-size perforations. 

Put the lining together according to the illustrated 
instructions given in the pattern, making the closing at 
the center front. 

Try the lining on with the fold edges of the front 
opening just meeting. 

The lining should be tried on directly over your cor- 
set so as to get as close a duplicate of your figure as 
possible. In using the finished dress-form remember 
that it represents your figure without lingerie. If you 
wear heavy, clumsy underwear you should put it on the 
form in fitting. If you wear fine, close-fitting lingerie 
it will not be necessary to do so, as the lingerie will not 
alter the size or shape. Pin the fronts carefully and be 
sure that the neck edges are even. 

Make the necessary alterations at the outlet seams, 
fitting the lining very carefully. Be sure to have the 
neck and armhole exactly right. Remove the lining 
and if you make any alterations baste them in and try 
on the lining once more to be sure that it fits perfectly. 
Stitch the seams through the bastings. If you can't re- 
move them afterward it doesn't matter in this case. 
It is not necessary to bind, or 
Run a strong basting around 




Fig. 176. The Padded Sleeve Lining 



AN EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT FOR DRESSMAKING 63 

the lining. (See Chapter XXI. Skirts.) Take the lining off and face it with a bias 
facing three inches wide, stitching the upper edge of the facing flat to the lining. 

Mark the waistline by a line of colored thread through the waistline perforations. 

Place the lining on the dress-form, leaving the front edges open temporarily. Pad be- 
tween the lining and the form with tissue-paper, cotton rags or wadding until it fits per- 
fectly. Be careful in padding not to stretch or draw the lining or to let the padding get in 
bunches. Pack it until the front edges just meet and then pin them together. Then sew 
them with an overhand stitch. (Fig. 175.) If you have prominent or uneven hips or a 
round abdomen, place the wadding where it is needed. When you pad below the waist- 
line, pin the wadding to the form so that it will not slip. When you have padded the front 
out to its right proportions, turn up the lining and cover the padding at the hips with a 
thin piece of lining material, tacking the covering to the dress-form. 

Fell the left side of the collar in place and overhand its back edges together. 

Place a piece of lining material inside each armhole, turn in the armhole edges three- 
eighths of an inch and fell them to it. (Fig. 175.) 

For a figure that varies quite decidedly from the average it is better to use a special 
dress-form. Alter your pattern and make up the lining as described in the earlier part of 
this chapter. Send your finished lining to a firm that makes dress-forms and have a 
special form made from it, but a size smaller than your lining. When you get the form, 
put the lining on it and pad it as already described. 

Or a woman of this type of figure can get an adjustable dress-form. Get it a size smaller, 
adjust it to represent your figure, cover it with your lining and pad it as directed here. 

A woman who sews for a number of people will have to use an adjustable form with a 
fitted lining for each person she sews for. Mark these linings distinctly with name of the 
person for whom it was made. The form will have to be adjusted and padded each time a 
lining is used. 

In using a dress-form, the skirt can be put on the form and the form placed on the 
table. It is easier to work with in this position. 

In fitting a coat the form should be dressed with the waist and skirt over which the 
•coat will be worn. 

THE SLEEVE-FORM. Take the finished sleeve of the lining and pad it firmly and 
evenly. Place a piece of lining material over the padding at the wrist, turn in the wrist 
edges three-eighths of an inch, and fell them to the piece of material. (Fig. 176.) 

Slip a piece of lining material in the armhole of the sleeve. Turn in the edge of the 
under portion of the sleeve three-eighths of an inch and fell the fold edge to the lining 
material. (Fig. 176.) Pad the upper part of the sleeve until it looks as nearly as 
possible like the arm. Turn in the upper edge of the piece of lining three-eighths of an 
inch and fell it to the upper part of the sleeve. (Fig. 176.) 

You can use the sleeve-form for either the right or left arm and you will find it very 
useful for trimming or draping sleeves. 



CHAPTER XIII 

CUTTING MATERIALS, 5PONGING, ETC. 



I '. FIRST ', 
'SIDE CORE\ 



f 



BACK CORE 



8 

£ 

o 

S 

o 
9 
2 



. rr 



■ : FIRST . 
', SIDE CORE 



FIRST 
SIDE CORE^ 



THE NAP or PILE in all woolen cloths should invariably run toward the bottom of 
the garment. (Fig. 177.) The cutting line of perforations in the patterns, and 
the directions for their use must be carefully followed. In waists and skirts that 
are to be cut bias, special instructions for placing the cutting perforations are 
given with the pattern. Fig. 17S shows a pattern laid on material that has no nap. 

When Velvet or Plush or any velvet material except panne velvet is used, the pile 
should run upward, just as the pile of the fur does in a garment of sealskin. When in 
these fabrics the pile runs upward its tendency is to fall outward, thus bringing out and 
enhancing its depth of color; while when the pile runs downward it is more liable to 
flatten, just as fur will when stroked, and its richness and intensity of color are ren- 
dered less apparent, and therefore less effective. 

Panne velvet, the one exception to the above rule, should be cut with its pile 
running downward. 

In Adjoining Sections, great care 
should be taken to have the nap 
or pile run in the same direction. 
Otherwise the different reflections 
of light caused by the varying 
directions of the nap will make the 
garment appear as if made of two 
shades of goods. 

An Irregular Plaid can rarely be 
used on the bias, consequently the 
ways of making it up are limited. 
A dress made of irregular plaid 
requires more material than one 
made of regular plaid. The 
darkest stripes should run across 
the bottom with the lighter tones 
up, as the shading in this direction 
is better. 

It must always be borne in mind 
throughout the cutting, that all 
pieces of the pattern, or lining, 
must be placed with the upper 
part in the direction for the top 
of the material. An amateur 
had better use an even plaid. 

The most satisfactory results 
are obtained by folding the mate- 
rial and pinning through both 
thicknesses as for a seam, then 
turning over on the right side and 
noting the effect. In this way it 

may be easily ascertained which stripe, plaid or figure it will 
be best to use for the center of the front and back, respec- 
tively. Be careful, in replacing the goods, not to lose the 
original position. 
64 



SECOND 
SIDE GORE' 



SECOND 
SIDE CORE 



BACK CORE 



FIRST 
SIDE GORE 5: 





■ SICONJJ 
I SIDE CORE'. 



BACK GORE 



Fig. 177. Laying Pattern on 
Material Having a Nap 



BACK GORE. 



Fig. 1 78. How Pattern May Be 

Laid When Material Has 

No Nap 



CUTTING MATERIALS, SPONGING. ETC. 



65 




Fig. 179. Marking Pattern for Matching 
Stripes on Shoulder 

peated in the pattern of the outside waist 
before cutting the material. 

When making a waist of striped mate- 
rial the only place where the stripes must 
match is at the shoulder seams — unless, 
of course, the stripes in the material run 
bias or the waist itself is cut on the bias. 
In the latter case the general principles 
given in the preceding paragraphs on cut- 
ting materials can be followed. 

In a plaid waist the vertical lines at 
the shoulder seams and the crosslines at 
the undcr-arm seams must match. (See 
Fig. 180.) If the waist closes in front, 
the back should be cut out first. Pin 
the back to the pattern of the front at 
the shoulder edge. Mark the stripes with 
a pencil on the pattern of the front where 
they intersect the shoulder seams. (P'ig. 
179.) Lay the pattern of the front on the 
goods so that the stripes of the material 
correspond to the stripes marked on the 
pattern. Then cut out the fronts. In 
Fig. 179 the seam edge of the pattern is 
folded under to show the way the stripes 
should match when the shoulder seam is 
closed. 

IN CUTTING THE SKIRT of plaid, 
place the chosen line or plaid exactly in 
the center of the front gore, or, if the 
skirt is circular, directly down the center 
of the front. After the front is cut, the 



THE PLAID WAIST should be cut in as few 
pieces as possible and can be made either on 
the straight or the bias of the material. Match 
the heavy lines wherever the waist is joined, 
either at the under-arm or shoulder. 

With the present style of stretching the 
back of the draped waist, little difficulty is ex- 
perienced in the making. Having chosen the 
stripe that is most suitable for the center of 
the back, select also, for the crosswise stripe, a 
position which will leave the best effect on 
the figure. For the front, arrange the plaid 
so that when the waist is closed the center 
will form a succession of perfect blocks. Other 
ideas may be considered for the front closing; 
this is simply a matter of choice, since the lines 
across the front must match. In any event, 
the crosswise plaids of the front must be on a 
line with those of the back, so that when the 
under-arm seam is joined the crosswise stripe 
of both will match perfectly. (Fig. ISO.) 

The chief difficulty in the making of a 
striped or plaid waist lies in the accurate 
matching of the stripes. In using a new 
pattern, cut and fit the lining first. Then if 
any alterations are necessary they can be re- 




Fig. 180. 



Matching Cross Stripes at 
Under-Arm Seam 



66 




THE DRESSMAKER 

uncut material is laid on the table and the cut 
front placed alongside, near the edge, with the 
crosswise as well as the lengthwise stripes match- 
ing exactly. (Fig. 181.) 

F.'a/ie the pattern of the side gore on the mate- 
rial, .Hatching the front, and if the position is cor- 
rect, cut; otherwise move the front gore to the 
next block or plaid on the material. This may- 
necessitate some waste, 
but there is no alterna- 
tive. Frequently, in 
plaid or figured mate- 
rials, the pattern will 
have to be moved half 
a yard or more to a cor- 
responding line or figure 




Fig. 181. 



Matching Plaid at Side Seams 
of Skirt 



Fig. 1 S2. Center Back or Front 
Seam of Circular Skirt 

more material must be 



before the correct position will be 
found. Cut each gore after the 
manner directed, and baste and 
stitch. 

Fig. 181 shows a material of plaid, 
in cutting which a waste was neces- 
sary in order to match the plaid. On 
account of 'this waste in matching 

allowed for the making of a plaid dress.' Care and attention 
are necessary in making up plaids, for no costume is well 
put together unless the different portions are carefully 
matched. 

Stripe, check and plaid materials can be used effectively 
in a circular skirt with a bias seam down the front. (Fig. 182.) 
A two-piece pattern is suitable for such a skirt, and full directions are given in the pattern 
instructions showing how to place the pattern on the material in order to obtain a 
desirable bias. 

It is better in cutting a skirt of plaid or stripe, to cut one side first, then, removing 
the pattern, lay the section just cut upon the material, and carefully match the plaid 
at all points before cutting the opposite piece. When both sides are joined, the 
prominent lines in the plaid should have a mitered effect, as shown in Fig. 183. 




Fig. 1 83. Center Front or Back 
Seam in Skirt of Plaid 



FIGURES and FLOWERS must also match perfectly. Unless one line of flowers 
is up and the next down, as usually occurs, one position will have to be selected for 
the top, Generally the stems of the flowers run downward. 

When cutting a garment where several breadths of silk must be joined (a circular 
skirt, for instance) it is most important that the pattern or figures on the material should 
be matched. Often this can not be done when the breadths are simply joined at the 
selvages. Cut the front gore first by folding the silk lengthwise through the center 
(if the skirt has no seam at the front), and laying the front edge of the pattern even 
with the fold. If there is a decided figure in the silk, fold this front breadth so the 
figures will balance and not make the skirt look onesided. 



CUTTING MATERIALS, SPONGING, LTC. 



67 




Fig. 184. 



Matching the Design in 
Figured Silk 



Lay the paper pattern 
out on a table; place the 
front gore upon it and 
match the figures of the 
silk at the edge of the sec- 
ond breadth to those at, 
or near, the edge of the 
first. It will sometimes 
be necessary to lap the 
second breadths consider- 
ably over the first, as 
shown in Fig. 1S4, in order 
to find the corresponding 
figures. Turn under the 
edge of the second breadth 
and pin it to the first. The 
gore may then be cut ac- 
cording to the pattern. 
Proceed in the same way 
to join the breadths for 
both sides of the skirt. 

Slip-stitch the breadths together, from the outside 
by slipping the needle along, inside the fold edge of 
the upper breadth, and then taking a stitch in the 
under breadth, as shown in Fig. 185. When the skirt 
is turned wrong side out, it will be found that the slip-stitching from the right side forms 







Fig. 186. Matching Plaid When 
Piecing is Necessary 



Fig. 185. 



Slip-stitching the Breadths 
Together 



the basting of the seam, 
cut off. 



Material will give more and match better if the selvages are 



SPONGING is one of the most important steps in both dressmaking and tailoring. 

Almost all woolen materials should be carefully sponged before they are used. A few 
very thin, open-meshed fabrics cannot be sponged on account of the shrinkage, but in 
most cases the sponging is advisable. If you are in doubt take a small piece of the 
material and experiment with it. To a certain degree it prevents spotting from 
rain, etc. For sponging, one must have a large-sized table, an ironing-blanket and a 
strip of heavy unbleached muslin or drilling one yard wide and two yards long. The 
ironing-blanket must be laid on the table without a wrinkle. The selvages of the 
material should be clipped or cut off aad the material should be laid face down on the 
blanket. Wet and wring out the strip of muslin, lay it over the material, and press it 
with an iron several times. Then remove the muslin and press the material itself until 
it is dry. Sponge a small portion of the goods at a time and work slowly and carefully. 

In sponging material of double width, let it remain folded with the right side turned 
in during the sponging. If the material is very heavy, it may be turned to the other 
side and the sponging repeated. 

Wash materials of the linen order should be shrunken — dipped in water, wrung out 
and pressed dry — before they are made up. Fine mulls, flowered organdies, Swisses, 
etc., should not be shrunken for they are not as pretty afterwards as they were before. 



CHAPTER XIV 

THE U5E. OF BUTTE.RICK PATTERNS 



BUYING A PATTERN — In home dressmaking, the first principle of success is to 
start with the right size pattern. The wrong size pattern means a waste of good ma- 
terial and an unnecessary amount of fitting. It only takes a fraction of a minute to 
be measured, and it saves you the possibility of any trouble and extra work. 
You ought to be measured each time you buy a pattern. Don't be measured over old 
corsets or a carelessly fitted dress or a house gown. Put on the corsets you are going to 
wear under the new dress. Lace them properly. It may make a difference of one or two 
inches in your waist and hip measure. Have your measurements taken over a waist and skirt. 
Your bust measure should be taken easily, but not snugly, over the fullest part of the 
bust, close up under the arms and across the back. (Figs. 187A and 187B.) 

Your waist measure should be taken snugly, but not tightly, at your normal waistline. 
Don't think because you are going to buy a pattern with a raised waistline that you should 
take your measure at your raised waistline. The waist measure given with any pattern is 
the measure of the lower edge of the finished belt which comes at the normal waistline. 
(Pigs. 187A and 187B.) 

Your hip measure should be taken easily, but not snugly, seven inches below your nor- 
mal waistline. (Pigs. 187A and 187B.) 

Your arm measure should be taken easily around the arm, just below the armhole. 
(Pig. 187A.) 

In buying a pattern for a skirt have both your waist and hip measures taken carefully. 

Compare your measurements with the table of waist and hip measurements given on the 

pattern envelope. Buy your pattern by the measure recommended on the pattern envelope. 

After you have bought your pattern, buy your material, guided by the quantities given 

on the pattern envelope. 

In buying material for a ladies' dress or skirt, remember that the pattern does not allow 
for a hem. If you wish to hem the skirt you will have to buy a little more material than the 

pattern calls for. A facing can 
often be cut from the left-over 
scraps of material if you prefer 
to face the skirt. 

When you get your pattern 
home, open it, and identify 
each piece from the illustration 
on the back of the envelope. 
Read the instructions carefully, 
and go over the illustrated 
instructions. You will see that 
they are very simple, and with 
the illustrations are extremely 
easy to follow. Butterick 
patterns have these illustrated 
instructions. 

The pattern is marked with 
a few clear, unmistakable 
symbols that show you exactly 
how to cut and put the dress 
together. 





FiSs. 1 87A and 1 87B. 



Measuring the Bust, Waist, Hip and Arm 
68 



THE. USE. OF BUTTERICK PATTERNS 



69 



Fig. 187C. A 
Line of Large 
Double Perfora- 
tions is Always 
Laid on the Ma- 
terial Length- 
wise and Parallel 
to the Selvage. 



Large double perforations invariably mark the cutting line. (Fig. IS7C.) They are 
k always used in a series that form a straight line. (Fig. 1S7C.) When 

" you have your material laid out, ready for cutting, these large double 

| perforations are always laid lengthwise of the material. (Fig. 187C.) 

Every piece of material has two dimensions: Crosswise — which is 
from selvage to selvage; and lengthwise — which is the length of 
the selvage. The large double perforations are laid on the material 
parallel to the selvage, so that each one of these large double perfor- 
ations is the same distance from the selvage as all the other large 
double perforations. 

It is extremely important to get these large double perforations 
straight, and not bias, on the material. If they are laid on straight, 
the garment will be easy to make, and will wear nicely. If you put 
these perforations on carelessly, so that instead of being parallel to 
the selvage they run bias, the garment will pull and twist and 
stretch. It will be found an aid in cutting correctly if a ruler or 
yardstick is laid on each piece of the pattern, its edge touching each 
of the perforations that indicate the way the pattern should lie on 
the goods, and a heavy pencil mark made along the line formed by the 
ruler. This question of the grain or thread of the goods is a very 
important one. Some skirts are cut with one straight and one bias 
edge on each gore; others have two bias edges, for it all depends on 
the design of the skirt. The only safe plan to follow is the line of 
perforations marking the grain of the pattern. Measure from each 
end of the line to the selvage of the goods, and move the pattern until 
both ends of the line are the same number of inches from the edge. 
Large triple perforations are also always used in cutting. 
(Fig. 1S7D.) They are always laid on a lengthwise fold of the ma- 
terial. In some cases they can also be laid on a crosswise fold. The 
pattern instructions tell you whether you are to lay the large 
triple perforations on a lengthwise or crosswise fold. 

Small double perforations are always used to mark the normal 
waistline in skirts, blouses, coats, etc. (Fig. 187E.) 

Large single perforations (Fig. 187F) and small single perforations 
(Fig. 1S7G), either alone or together, are used for different purposes, 
which are explained in the instructions. 

Notches (Fig. 187H) are used to mark seam edges and to 
show which edges come together. Edges marked with corresponding 
notches are put together in a seam, with the notches matching. 



Fig. I87D. Large Triple 
Perforations. 



Fig.l87L. Small Double 
Perforations. 



Fig. 187F. A Large 
Single Perforation 



Fig. I87G. A Small 
Single Perforation. 



USING A PATTERN FOR CUTTING is explained fully on the 
pattern envelope. In most cases, when the two sides of a garment 
are exactly alike, the pattern is given for one-half the garment. Each 
piece of the pattern is cut twice or double to make the complete 
garment. In eases where the two halves of a garment are not alike, 
for example, when a skirt is draped on the left side and not on the 
right, the pattern is given for the entire garment. In every ease 
the pattern explains which pieces should be cut twice or double, 
and which should be cut once and singly. A front-gore pattern is 
usually laid on the folded material with its front edge on the fold, 
thus cutting it double. Two side gores can be cut either singly, 
making two cuttings, or once with the material doubled so that the 
two are cut at once. In a skirt with an irregular front closing, each 
half of the front is cut separately. Before cutting your material, be 
sure that the pattern is the right length and proportion for you. If 
you are shorter or taller than the average figure, the length of the 
pattern can be altered as directed on the pattern envelope. 

If your figure is out of proportion in any way, large or small in the 
bust, etc., the pattern should be altered according to the directions 



< 



Fig. 187H. Single and 
Double Notches 



70 THE DRESSMAKER 

given in this chapter, which covers the alterations for different 
types of figures. 

Cutting — In laying a pattern on material for cutting, arrange 
the pieces so that they will cut to the best advantage without 
wasting your material. Follow the pattern instructions in regard 
to the position of the cutting perforations. (Figs. 187C and 187D.) 
Pin the pattern in place with fine small pins placed as close 
together as necessary to hold the pattern firmly. Do not push 
the pins through the material recklessly, but take up as few 
threads as possible so as not to mark the material. 

Cut out the garment with bent shears (Fig. 174, page 60), 
following the pattern' edges exactly, and cutting a clean, even line. 
Mark the working perforations with tailor's tacks (Fig. 71, page 
22), using different colored cottons to indicate the different size 
perforations. 
Putting Seams Together — The seam edges are marked with notches (Fig. 187H), showing 
which edges come together. Outlet seams are marked by large single perforations (Fig.. 
187 F) and the basting on these seams should be through these perforations. Ordinary 
seams are not marked by perforations, but are sewed evenly three-eighths of an inch 
from the seam edge. 

Darts are marked by V-shaped lines of perforations. A dart is made by folding the gar- 
ment so that the two lines of dart perforations come together. 

Fig. 187 I represents the easy curve commonly followed in terminating darts in waist pat- 
terns. The picture shows the effect when the material is folded with the corresponding 
dart perforations matching, according to the pattern instructions. The point to be em- 
phasized here is that the line of the dart seam should follow the reversed curve, toward the 
point running into the folded edge, almost in a line with the fold. When this curve is fol- 
lowed, the "pouting" effect (as it is called by professionals), often seen at the top of darts, 
is avoided. 

Fig. 187 J shows the line of the dart seam running straight from the third perforation 
from the point of the dart to this point. This is the cause of the "pouting" effect, which, 
as explained in the preceding description, is easily avoided. It is an ugly and unnecessary 
fault. 

Although the darts in skirts are reversed, this caution should be observed, as the points 
should be finished perfectly, to avoid this same pouting effect already referred to. 




Figs. 1 871 and 1 87J. Right and 

Wrong Methods of Terminating 

Darts 



THE BEST METHOD OF ALTERING PATTERNS— 

Butterick patterns are so carefully planned that it is 
unnecessary for most women to change them in order to 
secure an absolutely satisfactory fit. At the same time, 
for figures varying from the average in waist lengths, sleeve 
lengths, skirt lengths, bust size, waist size, hip size, etc., the 
patterns can be easily changed to suit individual peculiari- 
ties of form by following these instructions. 

It is easy to lengthen or shorten a waist, sleeve or skirt 
without in any way detracting from the original lines, if the 
work is done at the right time and in the proper way. A 
woman sometimes spends a long time endeavoring to fit a 
waist cut the normal length to a long-waisted figure, and the 
result is unsatisfactory because the lines of the seams and 
the proportions of the waist are not what they were designed 
to be, a very slight change sometimes destroying the effect 
of the whole garment. Fitting an average-length waist 
pattern to a short-waisted figure is another difficult thing 
for an amateur to do. By carefully studying these illustra- 
tions, methods and principles, one can alter patterns satis- 
factorily for all types of figures. 

A knowledge of the proportionate measurements used in 
making patterns is very necessary for the dressmaker, 



THE USE OF BUTTERICK PATTERNS 



71 




Fig. 187. To Shorten the Waist Lining 



whether professional or amateur. A comparison 
between these measures and those of the person to 
be fitted should be made before cutting into one's 
material. 

FOR ADAPTING PATTERNS TO LONG OR 
SHORT WA1STED FIGURES, the first step should 
be to read the pattern instructions carefully. Then 
open the pattern, and, referring to the instructions, 
identify each piece by its number and description. 
Before cutting the material, the figure should be 
measured from the collar seam at the back of the neck 
to the waistline and from close up under the arm to 
the waistline. 

Make a note of all the measures as they are taken, 
then compare them with the corresponding measure- 
ments of the pattern. In most cases it is sufficient to 
alter the length of a waist lining at the lower part. 
Some figures, however, are long-waisted from under 
the arm to the waistline, and short from under the 
arm to the neck. This is determined by the length 
of the underarm measure. If the lower part is too 
long, lay a plait across each piece two and one-half 
inches above the waistline. (Fig. 187.) The size of the plait depends on the difference 
between the measure from under the arm to the waistline of the pattern and the corre- 
sponding measure of the figure. If the upper part is too long, lay a plait across the front 
and back, half way between the underarm and the neck. (Fig. 187.) 

The lining may be lengthened by cutting it across at either or both of these points and 
separating the pieces the required space to give them the desired length. (Fig. 188.) 
The seams edges should be evened off at the plaits after the plaits are laid. What- 
ever alteration is made in the length of the lining, corresponding alterations must be made 
in the pattern of the outside of the waist, taking out or putting in the same amount at the 
same places. 

ADAPTING PATTERNS TO FIGURES WITH EXTRA LARGE OR SMALL BUST— 
A pattern may be of the correct bust measure and yet require a slight alteration across 
the bust. This alteration can usually be made at 
the underarm seam, where an extra allowance, or 
outlet, is provided for just such cases. 

When there are two underarm gores in a pattern, 
the alterations should be made so that it is equally 
divided at the two underarm or outlet seams. 

Occasionally, however, one finds a figure with what 
is termed an "extra large'' or "extra small" bust, 
which means that while the bust measure in both 
cases may be the same as for a figure of average 
shape, a greater proportion of the measurement is 
over the front and less at the back in the first case, 
and less in the front and more at the back in the 
other. 

For an Unusually Large Bust get some stout, inex- 
pensive lining material, as much as the lining pat- 
tern calls for. Unbleached muslin will do nicely. 
Lay your pattern on the material, following the 
pattern instructions for cutting. Cut it out care- 
fully and mark the working perforations with tailor's 
tacks. Put the lining together and turn under the 
hems, following the pattern instructions. 

Take a piece of the lining material six inches wide 
and long enough to reach across the front of your pig. 188. To Lengthen the Waist Linir 




72 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 1 89A. The Remedy is 

to Give the Lining More Size 

Across the Bust 



figure to the underarm seams. Ffe 189 If the Bust is Too 

Place it over your bust and pin it FuM it Pu | b Up the Uning 

smoothly to your lingerie slip. 

Put thelining on, pinning the fronts 

together with the fold edges just 

meeting and placing the pins about 

an inch and a half apart. The 

lining will draw in wrinkles that run 

from the bust downward toward 

the underarm seam. (Pig. 189.) 
Get some one to cut the lining 

straight across the figure to the 

side-front seam (Fig. 189A.), and 

from the side-front seam upward 

to three-quarters of an inch below 

the notches in the armhole edge. 

(Fig. 189 A.) 
As soon as the lining is cut it 

will separate as much as the figure 

requires (Fig. 189A.) and will drop 

in place on the abdomen. (Fig. 

189A.) Pin the edges of the slash 

carefully to the piece of lining 

material underneath. (Fig. 189A.) 

Take the fining off and haste the edges of the slash to the piece under it. Be sure to 

baste very carefully. 

Try the lining on once more to be sure that it fits perfectly. Then take it off and rip it 

apart, cutting through the material underneath on a line with the seams. 

These lining pieces are not to be used for a pattern or for a lining. Take each piece of this 

altered lining and the corresponding piece of the pattern and make the same alterations in 

the pattern, using the lining piece as a guide. Slash the pattern fronts like the lining, sep- 
arating the pieces of the pattern in the same way and to the same extent, and paste a piece 

of tissue-paper under the slash. 

Never use the altered fining to cut your 
real lining. The lining material would 
stretch in handling and would not make 
an accurate, reliable pattern. Keep the 
corrected tissue pattern and use it for any 
waist or dress that calls for a French lining. 
The change here suggested and illustrated 
is for a figure of extreme fulness at the bust. 
It will not, of course, be necessary to make 
so great an alteration for figures more 
nearly the normal shape. 



FOR A SMALL BUST— Figure 190A shows 
the same French lining pattern, slashed and 
adjusted to fit a figure with an extra small 
bust. This represents an extreme case, 
where the bust is very small, although the 
measure taken about the bust is the same 
as for a figure of average shape. Where the 
bust is not so small — that is to say, but 
slightly undersized — such extreme altera- 
tions are unnecessary. 

Here again you make up your waist lining 
in unbleached muslin, just as the woman 
with the large bust would do. 

The experimental lining is put on 




Fig. 1 90. Here the Bust is 

Small in Proportion to the 

Rest of the Figure 



Fig. 1 90 A. Some of the 
Size Must be Taken 
Out 



THE USE OF BUTTERICK PATTERNS 



73 



carefully, but il is not necessary to pin a 
piece of material under it. When the lining 
is on the figure, the size that is not taken up 
by the bust will drop in wrinkles below the 
full part of the figure. (Fig. ISO.) The 
alteration is made at the same point as the 
alteration for the overfull bust. The lin- 
ing is again slashed straight across the 
front to the side-front seams and from the 
seams upward to within three-quarters of 
an inch of the notches in the front of the 
armhole. (Pig. 190 A.) Lap the slashed 
edges until the lining sets smoothly and 
comfortably on the figure. Do not try to 
make it snug or tight. There should be 
plenty of room so that the lining dot s not 
cramp or confine the figure, and so that you 
can breathe comfortably. 

Pin the edges of the slash (Fig. 190 A), re- 
move the lining, baste in the alteration, and 
try the lining on again. If it fits perfectly, 
take it off and rip il apart. You will find 
that the edges of the side-front seams are 
jagged from the lap laid across the lining. 

Even them off, following the original seam-line. Correct your paper pattern in the 

same way. Slash the pieces and lap them as you did in the lining, pasting the edges 

together. 

These alterations for a large or small bust may be made on this kind of a lining — usually 

called a "French lining" — or on a lining with one or two darts or with a straight or curved 

edge. 




Fig. 191. If the Figure is 
Round-shouldered 



Fig. 1 92. The Lining Will 

Require More Size Across 

the Shoulders 



FOR A ROUND-SHOULDERED FIGURE— The lining must again be made up of 
cheap material so that it can be fitted to the figure and the corrections transferred to the; 
paper pattern. 

When your lining is made, have some one pin a strip of the lining material, about four 
inches wide, smoothly across your back from one arm to the other. Then put your lining 
on and you'll find that it looks like Figure 191. 
Wrinkles will run up from under the arm to the 
side-back seam (Fig. 191), and the lining will stand 
out across the back at the bottom. (Fig. 191.) 

The lining draws in this way because the 
shoulders pull the lining upward. (Fig. 191.) 
Have some one cut the lining across the shoulders 
between the side-back seams (Fig. 192) and from 
the seams down to within three-eighths of an inch 
of the underarm seam. (Fig. 192.) The lining 
will spread apart, separating as much as your 
figure requires. (Fig. 192.) Have some one 
pin the cut edges of the lining to the piece 
beneath it, take off the lining, baste it, and 
try it on again. Now rip and cut it apart so 
that you can use the altered pieces to fix the tissue 
pat tern. Slash the pattern just where the lining 
is slashed, separate the pieces a similar amount, 
and paste tissue-paper underneath the slash. 

If you are not very round-shouldered it will 

not be necessary to slash the lining as much or Fig. 1Q3. IfaWoman 

separate the pieces as much as shown in Figure f^T** "P/ii^w'- uf 
ino t. - i c j i. u Ti . Lining Will Wrinkle 

1\)Z. It is only for very round-shoulders that Across the Shoulders 




Fig. 194. The Extra 
Size Should be 
Removed 



74 



THE DRESSMAKER 



such an extensive alteration is necessary. 
If a person stoops very much, a second 
cut should be made nearly all the way across 
the back and side back, -commencing at a 
point about one-third the distance from 
the neck edge to the broken line, and ter- 
minating near the armhole edge just below 
the outlet perforations, separating the edges 
made by the slash more or less as the figure 
requires — generally from an eighth to a half 
inch. In cutting out the side back, preserve 
an even curve all along the edge. The un- 
derarm gore very seldom needs any change 
for this type of badly proportioned figure. 

FOR AN OVER-ERECT FIGURE— On a 
figure overerect in carriage, the lining will 
wrinkle across the shoulders. (Fig. 193.) 
The fining must be made up carefully 
and put on the figure. It is also slashed 
across the shoulders from side seam to side 
seam and downward to within three-eighths 
of an inch of the underarm seam. (Fig. 
194.) The edges of the slash are lapped 
and pinned. (Fig. 194.) Don't lap them too much or you'll be drawn back more than 
ever. Baste the slash, try the lining on and then rip it apart. Where it has been 
lapped there will be slight unevenness at the seam edges that must be trimmed off. 
Using the lining as a guide, alter the pattern, slashing it, lapping the edges and pasting 
them securely. 




Fig. 195. If a Woman Has 
Square Shoulders the Lin- 
ing Will Wrinkle Across 
the Chest 



Fig. 196. The Alteration 

is Made at the Shoulder 

Seam 



ADAPTING PATTERNS TO SQUARE OR SLOPING SHOULDERS— We have shown 
how a waist will act and how it should be altered under such conditions. An instance 
of square shoulders causing crosswise wrinkles at the front is shown in Figure 195. 
For a case of this kind it is not necessary to make up a lining first in order to alter the paper 
pattern. The alteration is very slight and can be made on the actual lining. 

Cut your fining by the pattern, follow- 
ing the pattern instructions carefully, 
and baste it together in the usual way. 
Try it on, pinning the fronts evenly 
together. You will find that it draws 
across the chest. (Fig. 195.) It should 
be taken up at the shoulder seam, taldng 
up as much as necessary near the neck to 
remove the wrinkles, and gradually slop- 
ing off the alteration toward the shoulder. 
(Fig. 196.) This alteration will make 
the fining too high around the neck, for 
the fining has been lifted to the level of 
the highest part of the shoulder. So the 
neck edge must be slashed at intervals 
until it feels comfortable. (Fig. 196.) 
After you take off the lining, rebaste the 
shoulder seam and trim off the neck on a 
line with the slashes. Try the lining 
on again to be sure the alteration is 
right, before.stitching the shoulder seams. 

If there are crosswise wrinkles across Fig sloping Shoulders 

the back, the lining can be altered in the Make the Lining wrinkle from 
same way at the back. Shoulder lo Armhole 




Fig. 1 98. The Lining Must 
be Lifted on the Shoulder 



THE USE. OF BUTTERICK PATTERNS 



75 




1 99. Shortening the 
Sleeve Pattern 



Shoulders that are more sloping than the 
average will cause a diagonal wrinkle from 
the neck to the armhole. (Pig. 197.) This 
alteration, too, can be made in the actual 
lining without changing the pattern. 

Make up your lining in the usual way 
and put it on, pinning it carefully. You'll 
find that it looks like Figure 197, though if 
your shoulders only slope a little it will not 
wrinkle as much as it does in the picture. 
The trouble in your case is that your 
shoulders droop too much to take up the full 
size of the lining, so the extra size must be 
taken out at the shoulder seam. Take up 
as little as possible near the neck and as 
much as is necessary out on the shoulder. 
.(Fig. 198.) Lifting the lining at the 
shoulder will raise the armhole and make it 
bind. You'll have to slash it a little until 
it feels just right. Don't slash it too much 
or your armhole will be too large. ( Fig. 198.) 

Take off your lining, baste the shoulder 
seams, and cut out the armholes on a line 
Try it on again to make sure that it is comfortable, and your lining is 




Fig. 200. Lengthening 
the Sleeve Pattern 



with the slashes, 
ready to be stitched 

If there are diagonal wrinkles at the back, they may be handled in the same way as the 
diagonal wrinkles at the front. 



TO LENGTHEN OR SHORTEN SLEEVE PATTERNS, measure along the inside of 
the arm from the armhole to the bend, and from the bend to the wrist. These two meas- 
urements are necessary so that the elbow of the sleeve may be in correct position on the 
arm, since the upper and lower arm may vary in proportionate length. If all the altera- 
ations are made in the upper or lower part of the sleeve, the elbow will be drawn out of 
place. 

If the measure from the armhole to the bend is one inch less than the corresponding part 
of the pattern, fold a half-inch plait straight across the pattern a little above the elbow. 

If it is necessary to shorten the lower-arm portion, make 
a plait half as wide as the amount to be taken out, 
laying it across the lower part of the sleeve pattern, 
about three inches below the elbow and parallel with the 
wrist edge of the sleeve. The plaits across the under- 
sleeve piece should be made to correspond in size and 
position with those on the upper piece. The upper- 
sleeve portion with the plaits pinned in is shown in 
Figure 199. 

When the plaits are folded over, the perforations and 
the edges of the pattern become uneven. To correct 
them, lay the altered pattern on a large piece of paper 
and mark a new outline, running across the edge of the 
folded part. If the arm is very full, the space between 
the elbow and the greater width at the top of the sleeve 
should be filled out, making the edge an even line. 
But if the arm is not large, the surplus width may be 
trimmed off to make an even outline from the elbow 
to the top of the sleeve. Whatever alteration is made 
at the edges of the seam must be repeated in regard 
to the large perforations. 
Fig. 200B. Decreasing the Waist Size If the sleeve needs lengthening, make the alteration 

ot the Yoke Pattern a t the same places by cutting across the pattern, 




Fig, 200A. Increasing the Waist Size 
of the Yoke Pattern 




76 



THE DRESSMAKER 



instead of making the plaits. Lay the pattern upon another piece of paper and separate 
the pieces far enough to make it the required length. Correct the outlines in the same 
way as when the sleeve is shortened. (Fig. 200.) Alter the outside sleeve to correspond 
to the lining. 

ALTERING A YOKE PATTERN — If, in buying a pattern with a circular yoke, you 
had to take a pattern that was too large or too small for you at the waist, the yoke pattern 
can be altered very easily. (Figs. 200 A and 200 B on preceding page.) 

If the pattern is too small for you, slash the yoke pattern from its upper edge to about 
the hip line. Make three slashes. (Fig. 200 A.) In pinning the yoke pattern on the 
material, spread the upper edge until it is the right size for your waist. (Fig. 200 A.) 

If the pattern is too large for you at the waist, make three dart-shaped plaits in the 
yoke pattern, letting the plaits begin at the upper edge and taper to nothing about the hip 
line. (Fig. 200 B.) The dept of the plaits depends on the amount of the alteration required. 

FOR ALTERING A GORED SKIRT PATTERN, it is of greatest importance that one 
should know the hip measure as well as the waist measure of both the pattern and the 
figure to be fitted. In taking 
the waist measure the tape 
should be drawn quite snug- 
ly. The hip measure should 
be taken seven inches below 
the waistline, holding the 
tape easily around the figure. 
The table of measurements 
on the envelope should be 
referred to in order to ascer- 
tain if the figure's measures 
correspond to those of the 
pattern. 

Order the pattern accord- 
ing to the directions given 
on the pattern envelope. 
In some styles a skirt pat- 
tern should be ordered by 
the waist measure, in others 




Fig. 20 1 . Increasing the Waist Size in a Gored Skirt Pattern 



by the hip; but in each case the pattern instructions will specify whether it should be 
bought by the waist or hip. 

If a gored skirt is of the correct hip measure, but is too large at the waist, the alteration 
is quite simple. It can be made in fitting the skirt after the gores are basted together, by 
making each seam a little deeper from the hip toward the waist. 

If the waist is the correct size and the hip is too large in a gored skirt, make each seam a 
little deeper from the waist toward the hip, continuing to take in each seam from the hip 
to the lower edge of the skirt the same amount taken in at the hip. As a rule this is the 
best plan, because it is easier to take in material than to add it, and one is sure not to 
have a pattern that is too small. 

However, if one is proficient in making garments, a gored skirt pattern may be bought 
by the hip measure, even if too small at the waist, and the waist size may be increased in 
the following way: The increase must be calculated and planned for before the skirt is 
cut. We may find, for instance, a figure with 34 inches waist measure, and hips that 
measure 44. Referring to the "table" we find that the waist measure of the pattern of 
this hip size is 30 inches — four inches less than the waist we are to fit. 

The first consideration is the number of gores in which the skirt is cut, as this governs 
the number of seams at which allowance may be provided in cutting, and the amount that 
may be added at each seam. Another and very important consideration is the shape of 
the figure to be fitted. The same number of inches may result from the measurement of 
figures that differ entirely in shape. The hip measure of the nicely rounded figure with 
perfectly proportioned hips and abdomen may be the same as that of another that is flat 
at the front and back, with abnormal development at the sides; or of still another that has 
unusual abdominal prominence with extreme flatness at the back. 



THE USE OF BUTTERICK PATTERNS 



77 



It will be readily 
greater amount wil 
circumstances, it is 
this rule can not be 




HIP LINE 

"^Inches 
trom waist- 
LINE 

Cinches! froh 



seen that the allowance at the seams must be so distributed that the 
1 come where the figure has the fullest development. Under ordinary 
preferable to make no alteration on either the front or back gores, but 
followed when the figure is unusually full at the front. In the meas- 
urements cited (34 inches waist and 44 inches hip) it is neces- 
sary to add 4 inches to the skirt pattern at the waistline, 2 
inches on each side. 

Figure 201 shows how this amount may be added to a nine- 
gored skirt pattern. It is a good plan to mark the outline of 

the pattern on the 
goods, leaving ample 
material at each seam 
which may be let out 
where the figure re- 
quires it, tapering this 
amount off to nothing 
at the hipline which is 
seven and three-eighths 
inches below the upper 
edge. A skirt pattern 
should never be ordered 
with a hip measure 
smaller than that of the 
figure to be fitted. 

If a plaited skirt is 
too large or too small 
at the waist or hip, the 
plaits should be made 
either deeper or shal- 
lower to fit the figure. 



Fig. 202. Shortening a Plain 
Gored-5kirt Pattern 

LENGTHENINGAND 
SHORTEN I NG GORED 
SKIRTS— Measure the 
length of the skirt at the 
center front from the 
natural waistline to the 
floor and compare it 
with the corresponding 
measure of the pattern. 

To Shorten a gored 
skirt pattern, lay a plait 
straight across eachgore F & 203 - 
of the pattern about six 
inches below the hipline 

(seven and three-eighth inches below the waistline, the three- 
eighths of an inch being the seam-allowance at the upper edge). 
(Fig. 202.) If the gores are cut with one straight edge, measure 
at the straight edge, or, if both sides of the gores are bias,' 
measure along the line of perforations that indicate a length- 
wise thread of the goods. If the figure is full, the slope of the 
gores at thp bias side should be filled out from the folded plait 
to the hip; but if the figure is slight, this little extension 
may be taken off. 

To Lengthen a gored skirt pattern, cut each gore straight 
across, six inches below the hipline, and separate the pieces 
as much as necessary. (Fig. 204.) 





Shortening a Plaited Gored- 
Skirt Pattern 




204. Lengthening 
Gored-Skirt Pattern 



78 



THE DRESSMAKER 



To alter the length of a gored plaited skirt pattern', follow the same principle as for the 
plain gored skirt pattern. Then make new lines through the perforations that show 
the lines for the plaits. Place one end of a yardstick at a perforation near the hipline, and 
the other end at the corresponding perforation near the bottom, and mark with a pencil. 
(Fig. 203.) 

If, as is rarely the case, it should be necessary to alter the length of a skirt as much as 
four or five inches, it is best to take half of the amount out below the hips as explained 
above, and to take the remaining half off at the lower edge of the skirt. 



ALTERATIONS FOR A ROUND OR PROMINENT ABDOMEN OR HIPS— On women 
of this type, the skirt, if unaltered, will stand out in front and at the sides. These 
women, as a rule, have flat backs. A small pad worn under the corset at the back will 
fill in the hollow of the figure below the waistline. For these three types of figures it is 
advisable to experiment with one-half of the skirt cut of cheap lining cambric. Then, 
after finding just what changes are necessary to fit the figure, the good material may be cut. 
For the women with the round abdomen, take the side-front gore of the pattern and 
mark the hipline on it seven inches below the waistline. At the hipline on the back 
edge of the gore, take up a dart-shaped plait one-quarter of an inch deep and tapering 
away to nothing three-eighths of an inch from the front edge of the gore. (Fig. 205.) 
This quarter of an inch will change the entire balance of the gore. If it is necessary, 
in a skirt of many gores, do the same thing to the next side gore, but do not go back 
of the hip. You can keep increasing the size of the dart-shaped plait until the back 
edge of the gore above the hip forms a straight line with the back edge below the hip. 

(Fig. 205.) Stop at that point, 
for the back edge must never be- 
come hollow or concave. 

Figure 207 shows the allowance 
at the top of the front and side 
gores when the abdomen is prom- 
inent. Each gore must also be 
extended an inch or more at the 
top, gradually decreasing to noth- 
ing at a point over the hips. Ex- 
tending the gores up an inch will 
make the waistline smaller, so the 
side edges of the gores must be in- 
creased to keep the waistline ex- 
actly the original size of the pat- 
tern. It is a good plan to outline 
the original pattern on your mate- 
rial as a guide in fitting, but leave 
sufficient material around it to fit 
the prominent abdomen. If the 
figure is full in front, all garments 
should have this allowance left at 
the top of the front when cutting. 
For the woman with the prom- 
inent hips, select from the pattern 
the gore with its front edge coming 
over the fullest part of the hips, 
pinning the pattern together to 
find the right one. This gore 
must be altered in same way as for 
the round abdomen. (Fig- 206.) 
If necessary, in a many-gored skirt, the next gore toward the back may be altered in the 
same way, but the shape of the back gore should never be changed in altering a skirt to 
fit a prominent hip. These principles apply to any gored skirt pattern. 





Fig. 205. Alteration for Round 
Abdomen 



Fig. 206. Alteration on Side 
Gore for Prominent Hip 



FOR A CIRCULAR SKIRT PATTERN, it is best to order the pattern by hip measure, 



THE USE OF BUTTERICK PATTERNS 



79 



as the alterations may easily be made at the waist when the hip measure is correct. A 
well-cut circular skirt pattern without darts allows from one to two inches extra size, more 
than the waist measure, on each half of the pattern. This fulness should be eased into 
the belt over the hips, and the fulness shrunk away after the skirt is finished. When 
fitting the skirt, mark on the waistline where the fulness should be distributed, and 
gather this portion to the required size with fine stitches on a strong thread. Dampen 
the material, or place the wet sponge cloth over it and press it over a tailor's cushion 

until the 
cloth has 
shrunk to 
the correct 
size. (Fig. 
208.) This 
must be 
done very 
carefully in 
order not to 
leave any 
"bubbles" in 
the cloth. 

If the 
waist needs 
to be made 
very much 
smaller than 
the pattern, 

it may be necessary to make one or two small darts, but if only a small reduction is re- 
quired, it may often be shrunk in. If the waist size is to be increased, no alteration is 
necessary. There will simply be less material to ease into the belt. In a circular skirt 
with darts, the waist size can be made smaller or larger. It can be done by taking in or 
letting out the darts. If the waist size is to be increased, the darts may be let out. In a 
circular skirt pattern of the correct hip measure it should not be necessary to make an al- 
teration of more than one inch at the hips on the whole skirt. This alteration may be 
made at the center back. 

To Alter the Length of a circular skirt, it is best to make the change at the lower edge. 
For a woman having a slightly rounded or decidedly prominent abdomen, an alteration is 
required to provide for extra length at the top. (Fig. 209.) If this provision is not made 
in cutting, the skirt will draw up in front and stand out in a very ugly manner. 




Fig. 207. Increasing Waist Size, With Extension (or Prominent Abdomen 





Fig. 208. Shrinking Out Fulness in Circular Skirt 



It will be found, in making the alteration, 
that according to the prominence of the abdo- Fig. 209. 

men, from one-half to one and one-half inches 
will have to be added to the top of the pattern 
in front, gradually decreasing to nothing at a point over the hips, to make the skirt drop in 



Extra Length at Top of Circula r 

Skirt 



80 



THE DRESSMAKER 



a straight line from the fullest part of the abdomen to the floor. To do this, it is best 
to outline the edge of the pattern with chalk or thread, and leave sufficient material to 
raise the waistline as much as may be necessary. (Fig. 209.) In extreme cases it may 
be necessary to put a dart at the center front, but usually a slight easing of the skirt 
into the belt across the front will be sufficient. 





POINT AT HIP LINE 

OVER FULLEST PART 

OF HIP 



Fig. 210. When the Hips Are Large 

FOR A FIGURE WITH PROMINENT HIPS, it is necessary to increase the amount 
eased in the belt, or increase the size of darts over the fullest part of the hip. Mark the 
hipline on the pattern seven and three-eighths inches below the waistline. At the hip- 
line on the back edge of the pattern take up a 
dart-shaped plait about one-half inch deep and 
tapering away to nothing at a point just over 
the fullest part of the hip. Slash the pattern 
from the upper edge, through the darts, to the 
hipline, to make it lie flat. (Fig. 210.) The 
darts should be kept the original length. 

ALTERING LENGTH OF BOYS' PATTERNS— 

When a boy of five or six years has the breast 
and waist measure of a nine-year-old size, even 
though he has the height of a six-year-old, it is 
better to get a nine-year-old pattern and 
shorten the coat, the sleeves and trousers. 

The Coat and Sleeves Are Shortened in practi- 
cally the same way as already shown in the 
woman's waist. 

To Shorten the Trousers considerable care is 
needed in determining just where the alteration 
should be made. The length of the underwaist 
to which they fasten has a great deal to do 
with their length when worn. It is well to 
measure an old pair of trousers on the child, 
taking the measure from the waist to the crotch 
and then to just below the knee, allowing for 
the extra fulness to fall over the knee in knick- 
erbockers. Any alteration in length above 
the crotch should be made across the pattern below the extension for the pocket open- 
ing, changing the seam edges as little as possible. In the lower leg part, fold the plait 
across above the extension piece at the lower part of the leg. (Fig. 211.) 




Fig. 211. Shortening the Pattern of Boys' 
Knickerbockers 



CHAPTER XV 

UNLINLD WAISTS 



SEPARATE unlined waists are made from a great variety of materials, sheer batiste, 
lawn, handkerchief linen, etc., silks of all descriptions and many of the soft woolens. 
For Trimming a lingerie waist the combination of two kinds of lace, fine and 
heavy, or of lace and embroidery, is very effective. Fig. 212 shows a waist made of 
linen, cut from a perfectly plain pattern, clos- 
ing in the back. The first step in making 
this waist is to cut the front and back pieces; 
baste the seams and fit the waist to the figure. 
Stitch the shoulder seams. Now open the 
under-arm seams; lay the waist out flat on the 
table, and baste or pin the insertion in place, 
following the design illustrated, repeating it at 
the back. 

Draw the pull-thread in the lace where the 
curve requires a slight gathering to make it lie 
flat At the corners turn the lace sharply, and 
miter carefully. (Instructions for making 
mitered corners are given on page 11.) Then 
sew the edges of the fine and heavy lace 
together with an overhand stitch. The free 
edges of the lace are basted to the material 
and stitched down by machine as close to 
the edge as possible. 





Fig. 213. Tucked Waist with Insertion and 
Hand Lmbroidery Trimming 



Fig. 212. Ornamentation of Lace and Lmbroidery 
Insertion, Medallions and Hand-Lmbroidery 

Cut out the material from under the lace, 
leaving a narrow seam's width at each side. 
This edge may be turned back and stitched 
flat by a second row of stitching, leaving 
a raw edge. Or, it may be overcast closely 
with the raw edge rolled in to prevent any 
possible raveling. Fig. 214 on the following 
page shows a medallion decoration set in in 
this way. Sometimes, where two finished 
edges come together, they are lapped and 
stitched together as illustrated in Fig. 215. 

A waist made from a pattern that allows for 
tucks is shown in Fig. 213. They should be 
made before the lace is applied. The waist 
itself is put together like a plain waist. 

When all the trimming on the waist has been 
securely fastened in place, the under-arm 
81 



82 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 2 1 4. Finishing the Underside of 
Medallion Inset 



seams are again closed, stitched by machine 
and finished in the usual manner. 

The Collar, which is preferably attached to 
the waist, may be made of alternate rows of 
the fine and heavy lace. Cut a fitted collar 
pattern of stiff paper, turning under a seam 
at the top and bottom. On this paper col- 
lar baste the insertion in place, right side 
down, drawing the pull-thread sufficiently to 
give it the proper curve. Overhand the edges 
together and then remove the collar from the 
paper. 

A narrow seam beading is used to join the 
collar to the waist. Trim the material away 
from the upper edge of the beading, and over- 
hand this edge carefully to the lower edge of 
the collar. Baste the lower edge of the bead- 
ing to the neck edge of the waist and stitch in 
a French seam. 

To keep the collar from becoming crushed, 



a suitable number of collar supports should 
be placed at each side of the center front, 
as shown in Fig. 216. The supports are 
placed two and one-half inches from the 
end on each side, and a third support at 
each end. 

A SHIRT-WAIST is a type of waist model- 
ed on the style of a man's shirt. Shirt-waists 
are usually made of linen, madras or flannel. 
A good pattern for the beginner is a perfectly 
plain design having slight fulness at the 
waistline. Though a shirt-waist needs care- 
ful fitting, not so much skill is required in 
making it, and it is quite possible to fit 
oneself. 

Always open the pattern, identify each 
piece and get a clear idea of the construction 
by reading the instructions carefully before 
beginning to cut into your material. This 
care at the beginning will make the work 
easier and save mistakes and consequent 




Fig. 215. Medallion and Insertion Set in 
by Machine 




Fig. 2 1 6. ^Showing Position of Collar Supports 



waste of material. In cutting out the shirt- 
waist, mark all notches and perforations. 

In Tucked Shirt-Waist Patterns, it often 
happens that the fronts are too wide to be 
cut from one width of the goods. In this 
case it is necessary to piece the material. 
Take care that the seam comes where it will 
not show. In Fig. 217 the right front of a 
The method of piecing is easily understood. 



shirt-waist is shown pieced in this way. 

The pattern should be laid on the material, and the best place to make the joining con- 
sidered carefully. It will depend on the width of the goods and the style of the shirt-waist. 
In some cases it may be made at the stitching of the last tuck, but in others this tuck is not 
stitched to the waist line but terminates at yoke depth; consequently this seam would 
not be hidden. 

In the model illustrated the best place proved to be at the stitching of the first turn- 
back tuck on the right front. According to the pattern instructions, one inch back 
of the fold edge of the tuck is the stitching line, as the tucks are one inch wide. Mark 



UNLINED WAISTS 



83 



the stitching line with chalk, allow three- 
eighths of an inch beyond it toward the 
front edge for a seam, and cut off the 
rest of the material. 

A piece wide enough to complete the 
front must be joined at the stitching line, 
and when the tuck is made, both raw edges 
of this seam should be turned to one side 
and included in the tuck so that the seam 
is completely hidden on both the outside 
and inside of the waist. A piece suffi- 
ciently wide to enlarge the front breadth 
is sometimes left from the width from 
which the back is cut. The left 
front of the waist is turned under 
for a hem, as directed in the pat- 
tern instructions, and stitched. 

The Gibson Turk in a waist ne- 
cessitates joining the shoulder seam 
first before basting in the tuck. 
This leaves the tuck free across 
the shoulder seam (Fig. 218), and 
in basting in the sleeves the tucks 
can simply be turned toward the 
neck out of the way as illustrated. 




Fig. 2 1 7. Hiding the Joining 5eam in Front 
Tucked Shirt-waist 




Fig. 2 1 8. Basting in a Gibson Tuck 



Make the closing for the box plait or turn under 
the edge for a coat closing, on the right front, and a 
hem on the left front, as directed. 

The direction may be readily understood by re- 
ferring to Figs. 219 and 220 on the next page. The 
coat closing is finished by turning both hems toward 
the wrong side and stitching. (Fig. 222.) 

If the waist is to have a blind closing, a fly must be 
applied to the closing edge. The fly should be made 
double, folded lengthwise through the center, and 
a seam turned in at each edge. The fold edges are 
basted togetherand then sewed in position. (Fig. 221. j 
Stretch the edges of the fronts at the neck and 
at the shoul- 
der, between 
the middle of 

the shoulder and the neck, to make the waist fit 

into the hollow of the figure around the collar- 
bone. Baste the shoulder and under-arm seams 

toward the outside through the lines of perfora- 
tion with the notches matching. Gather the back 

and fronts at the waistline perforations and baste 

to the belt stay unless the fronts are to hang free 

under the belt. Try on, lapping the fronts. 
Any necessary alterations in the shirt-waist 

should be made at the shoulder and under-arm 

seams, never at the front. A little adjustment at 

the shoulder seams will often correct what appears 

at first to be an ill-fitting shirt-waist. Stitch 

three-eighths of an inch outside of the basting on 

the right side of the waist at the shoulder 

and under-arm seams. Trim off the edges 



close to the line of stitching; turn the waist to 




Fig. 2 1 9. Making the Box Plait 



84 




fig. 220. Finished Effect of Box-Plait Closing 



will be difficult to adjust the 
Shirt-waists are usually made with a band 
finishing the neck of the waist and worn with 
a separate linen collar. In making the 
band, cut two sections by the collar-band 
pattern and place them together with the 
right sides face to face. Baste an even 
three-eighth-inch seam at the top and ends, 
turn the band right side out and crease and 
baste the edges fiat. Baste the inside section 
of the band to the neck of the waist with the 
seam on the right side. Turn the seam up, 
turn in the remaining edge of the band fully 
covering the seam and stitch the outside, 
continuing this stitching all around the band. 
Fig. 221 shows the neck-band sewed to 
the neck of the waist. It will be seen that 
the wide lap from right to left requires that 
the neck-band be longer on the right side 
than on the left, measuring from the center 
back. If the band supplied with the pattern 
is not the right size of one's neck, alterations 
should be made at the center back, cutting 
the pattern straight across and basting a 



THE DRESSMAKER 

the wrong side, and stitch again in a French seam. 

If the under-arm seams have been let out or 
taken in, the notches in the top of the sleeves 
must be altered correspondingly. For instance, 
if the under-arm seam has been let out one inch, 
raise each notch in the sleeve half an inch. The 
lower part of the sleeve is purposely cut larger 
than the lower part of the waist so that the sleeve 
will not draw on the waist. 

If the armhole of the waist is too small,do not 
cut it out recklessly. Try snipping the material 
at intervals around the armhole three-eighths 
of an inch or so. This will allow the armhole to 
spread on the arm, and will show how much to 
cut away. 

The Neck requires care. It should not be trim- 
med out too much. The neck-band should fit 
the neck closely, though not too tightly, or it 
collar. 



3 








fig. 222. Finished Effect of Coat Closing 



Fig. 22 1 . Fly, Buttons and Neck-Band 

piece of paper in the space to make it larger, or 
lapping it at the center to make it smaller. 

The buttonholes which should be worked in the 
front of the neck-band and at the back, when 
the waist is worn with a linen collar, are shown 
in the illustration No. 221. 

A back yoke may be applied to the waist as 
shown in Fig. 223 on next page. 

If the fronts are to hang free, baste a tape across 
the back of the waist, and adjust the fulness over 
the front under the tape. Many prefer this plan, 
since it lessens the trouble in making and laun- 
dering. 

Where the waist is very full in front or is made 
of heavy material, the front portion is frequently 
cut away below the waistline where the gathers 
begin, and the fulness gathered into a band. 



UNLINED WAISTS 



85 




Fig. 223. Method of Applying Yoke 



method is shown in Fig. 227, on the next page. 

Another method of finishing the fronts is 
to cut across the fronts just above the lower 
edge of the strip stitched to the inside. 
(Fig. 225.) The cut must extend only as far 
as necessary to take out the extra fulness. 
The uneven upper edge of this piece may be 
trimmed and turned in and hemmed down 
to the part from which it was cut, providing 
sufficient length to hold the waist down. 
(Fig. 226.) A row of stitching should be 
placed at the lower edge of the inside band. 
The band will cover the raw edges of the cut 
portion at the front. This finish does away 
with the bulky material below the waistline, 
which is apt to spoil the set of a close-fit- 
ting skirt. The bottom of the waist is fin- 
ished with a narrow hem. 

The extension below the waist at the 
sides may have to be slashed to prevent its 



This band is an inch deep, when finished, 
and is cut a trifle bias in front. Fig. 224. 

Be careful not to draw the line of the 
seam joining the front and back out of 
place. The material, which is slightly bias 
under the arm, should be drawn smoothly 
toward the front as far as it will reach, 
and pinned at the waistline. The tucks 
may then be lapped over each other unless 
the fulness is gathered or laid in overlapping 
plaits and the waist drawn down or bloused, 
as preferred. 

The tape should be pinned carefully, fol- 
lowing the waistline. When the waist is 
taken off, baste the tape in place. Then 
take either a strong twill tape or a narrow 
strip of the material with the ends turned in, 
and baste to the inside of the waist, follow- 
ing the line of the upper edge of the tape on 
the outside. Then remove the outside tape 
and stitch the upper edge of the inside tape 
to the waist, after disposing of the fulness 
at the back by making two rows of gathers 
as far apart as the width of the tape. This 




Fig. 224. 



Fulness below Waistline Dispensed 
With in Band 



*Nl 



drawing over the hips. If preferred, a 
circular peplum such as is given in a corset 
cover pattern, may be used. The peplum 




Fig. 225. Tucks Cut Away below Waist 



Fig. 226. Extension Joined to Waist 



86 



THE DRESSMAKER 



is sewed to the bottom of the waist to hold it 
down properly. For waists having no fulness at the 
back, the peplum is used to give the proper spring 
below the waistline. 

Sew buttonholed rings at the back of the waist 
belt, as shown in Fig. 227. If two are used, each ring 
should be an inch and one-eigb th from the center back. 
Or, one can be placed at the center of the back with 
the others two inches apart. Hooks are sewed with 
the same spacing to the in- 
side of the skirt belt. Do not 
use hooks any larger than are 
necessary to fit into the rings. 





Fig. 227. 



Gathers and Buttonholed Rings 
at Back of Waist 



If rings are not procurable, ordinary eyes may be substituted. 
For the Slash in the Sleeve sew the underlap piece to the back 

edge of the slash with the seam toward the right side. Crease 

the seam on the lap, turn the lap 
at the perforations; baste dowi, 
entirely covering the joining, and 
stitch. Join the overlap piece to 
the front edge of the slash in the 
same manner. (Fig. 22S.) Adjust 
the overlap so that it will con- 
ceal the underlap and baste it in 
place. Stitch all around the over- 




Fig. 229. 



Finish for Link-Button 
Closing 




Fig. 228. Method of Apply- 
ing Laps to Sleeves 



lap, fol lowing the 
shape of the point. 
At the top of the open- 
ing the stitching 
should cross the lap 
and catch through 

the underlap, securely holding the opening in 
correct position, as shown in Figs. 229 and 230. 
A Continuous Lap is often used to finish the 
slash at the cuff opening. This lap is made by 
sewing a straight strip of the material continu- 
ously along both edges of the slashed opening, 
the strip of material being the same width all 
its length. (Fig. 231.) The other side is turned 
over and hemmed by hand or machine-stitched, 
to cover the first seam. This lap is shown in Fig. 232. When the lower edge of 
the sleeve is gathered this lap is turned under at the front or overlapping edge of the 
opening and extends on the other side to form an underlap. 

Join the long edges of the sleeve in a French seam and 

gather the bottom. Cut two sections and an interlining of 

coarse linen or muslin for each 

cuff. Baste the interlining to 

the wrong side of one of the cuff 

sections. Then baste the second 

cuff section to the first with the 

right sides facing each other, 

I; J 1 JV\ | I stitching along the two ends and 

1 /' / ! \\ j, I lower edge. Trim off the seam 

f^ 1 /-' I \ 3^A^ a t the corners and turn the cuff 

^£~^s/ Vi/^ w right side out, making sure that 

the corners are as neat as pos- 
sible. Baste along the seamed 



Fig. 230. Finish for Lap Closing 





Fig. 23 1 . Method of Applying 
Continuous Lap 



^ 



Fig. 232. Position of Contin- 
uous Lap and Cuff 



UNLINED WAISTS 



87 




edges so that the cuff will be easy to handle in sewing 
it to the sleeve. 

Baste the upper edge of the outside and interlining 
to the sleeve and overlap, but not to the underlap 
in a link cuff (Fig. 229), and to the sleeve, overlap 
and underlap in a lapped cuff. (Fig. 230.) Then 
stitch, pushing the sleeve fulness well toward 
the end of the cuff. Turn the seam down and baste. 
Make a narrow turning on the inside of the cuff and 
baste in position, covering the seam. Stitch around 
all the edges of the cuff from the outside. For con- 
venience in handling it is better to turn the sleeve 
wrong side out before making this stitching. 

The notches at the top of the sleeve show where 
the gathers begin and end and where they are placed 
on the waist. The fulness should be fairly evenly dis- 
tributed, but more of it should be pushed to the top 
of the shoulder than to the front and back. In sew- 
ing in the sleeve, hold the sleeve side toward you so 
easily in basting. 

Baste the sleeve to the armhole. If the material is too heavy for a French seam, make 
the seam toward the inside and cover it with a narrow bias strip of lawn. (Fig. 233.) 

The shirt-waist is now ready for the buttonholes. In the box plait they are worked up 
and down through the center with a bar tack at each end. (Page 13, Fig. 49.) In the 
neck-band they are worked lengthwise. The buttonhole at the center back is worked 
one-quarter of an inch above the stitching and has a bar tack at each end. Those at 
the ends of the band are worked a corresponding distance above the stitching, but with 
a round front end above the center of the box plait. (Page 14, Fig. 50.) The button- 
holes in the cuff are cut one-half inch in from the edge and about in the middle of the 
cuff. They are worked with one round end and one bar tack. 

If a detached collar is desired, cut two sections and an interlining by the collar pattern. 
Stitch together on the outside edges. Turn, and baste the bottom of the collar and its 
band with the seam toward the wrong side, and then stitch. Hem the outer edge over to 
the line of stitching. Stitch around the outside of the collar and work buttonholes 
corresponding to those on the neck-band of the shirt-waist. 



Fig. 233. Binding the Armhole 



that the gathers can be handled 



T 



CHAPTER XVI 

LINED WAIST5 

HE CONSTRUCTION of a lined waist requires the most minute attention to 
every detail. If great care is given to the work one can feel sure of satisfactory 
results. For a draped waist the lining is made separately, fitted, and the seams 
pressed open and boned before the outer material is adjusted. 

THE LINING is the foundation of a fitted waist. When cutting the lining, lay the 
perforations indicating the lengthwise thread of the material parallel to the selvage. If 
the directions are not followed exactly in this respect the waistline of each section of the 
pattern will come on the wrong thread, and the lining will stretch out of shape. 

Some dressmakers advocate cutting cotton linings crosswise of the material, but they 
do not cut to advantage this way. The argument is that material used crosswise will 
stretch very little, if any, and the lining may be strengthened by making it double at the 
points where the greatest strain will come. 

At the seams of the under-arms, the shoulders and the darts, mark the sewing line by 
tailors' tackt along the line formed by the large perforations. Do this when cutting the 
lining and while it is double, so that both sides may be marked exactly alike. Mark 
with a colored thread the perforations that indicate the waistline and also those mark- 
ing the elbow in the sleeve portion. Baste the seams of the lining together with their 
notches matched, basting the outlet seams through the perforations and the other seams 
three-eighths of an inch from the seam edges. 

A waist lining should be reenforced for a stout figure in the following way: Before 
cutting out or closing the dart seams, baste an extra piece of lining from the front of the 
waist to the second or back dart, and reaching from the top of the dart to the bottom of 
the lining. (Fig. 239.) Now cut up the center of each dart between the rows of per- 
forations, then bring these perforations together, and, beginning at the top, baste the 
darts and include the stay pieces in the seams. A waist fastening at the back has the 
back portions reenforced to a corresponding height. 

Baste the under-arm and shoulder seams toward the outside for the first fitting, for it 
is at these seams that the greatest alterations are usually made. Put the lining on 
and draw it toward the front, bringing the two raw edges together. Pin them in a seam, 
placing the first pin at the marks indicating the waistline. Smooth the fining over the 
figure at both the front and back, and be careful that the waistline of the lining is at the 
waistline of the figure. Make alterations at the under-arm and shoulder seams and at 
the front edge if necessary. Draw the lining up well at the shoulder seams, but not 
enough to draw it from the correct waistline. It may be fitted at these seams a little more 
snugly at the final fitting. 

Sometimes after the shoulders are carefully pinned there will be wrinkles in the front, 
between the shoulder and the neck. These are caused by the natural hollow of the 
shoulder. In this ease the shoulder seam must be ripped open and the front stretched 
to the back from the center of the shoulder to the neck. Wrinkles at the back near the 
neck are often caused by the lining being too long-waisted in back. Or the shoulder seam 
may have been sloped too much, especially if the person is very square-shouldered. It 
is always better to rip the bastings and pin the seam over again. 

If the waist draws to one side it is because the waistlines have not been pinned together 
at the fine of bastings. The top of the darts must come just below the curve of the bust 
and they may be raised or lowered if necessary. 

If the armholes feel too tight, be very careful not to gouge them out under the arms or 
around the front, or the waist may be ruined. The best plan is to snip the armholes for 
about three-eighths of an inch. This will give sufficient spring for the arm, and the sleeve 
can be stitched in just beyond the end of the snippings. If, however, this does not give 

88 



LINE.D WAISTS 



89 



sufficient ease to the armhole, pare the edges off a little and snip the seams a trifle deeper. 
The same caution applies to the neck. 

Pin the alterations, and mark carefully along the line of pins with tailors' chalk. With- 
out removing the pins baste through the corrections, keeping a well-shaped line for the 
seams. Try the lining on again to be sure that the alterations are right. Transfer the 
alterations to the other side of the waist by using the corrected side as a pattern. Baste 
the seams again, this time with the seams toward the inside. Stitch the seams just out- 
side the bastings so as not to make the waist any smaller, bearing in mind that the sewing 
of the seams will tend to tighten them. It also allows the bastings to be drawn easily, 
for if the seam is stitched directly on top of the bastings, both rows will be so interwoven 

that it will be almost impossible to pull them out. 
In stitching side-back seams always have the 
back next the feed of the machine and the side- 
back next the presser-foot, and hold the parts 
well up at each end of the presser-foot. Other- 
wise the side-back seams are liable to pucker or 
pull when being sewed. 

In making seams in which one portion is fulled 
on to another, place the full portion next the 
feed, or downward, because if it is placed next 
the presser-foot, the latter is liable to shove the 
fulness out of place. Notch the seams at the 
waistline and two or three times above and 
below it, enough to allow them to lie flat when 
pressed. Bind the seams neatly with ribbon 
seam-binding run on loosely, and press them 
open. Some dressmakers prefer to overcast the 
seams, and most of the imported French dresses 
are finished in that way, but it does not present 
as neat a finish and takes a great deal of time, 
as the overcasting must be done closely and 
carefully. 

Many linings, especially those of taffeta, are 
simply pinked. Fig. 234 shows a seam edge 
bound, another overcast, and a third notched and 
ready to bind. It also shows the notching neces- 
sary to make the side seam lie flat when it is 
pressed open. 

When no hem is allowed at the closing edge of 

the lining, it is necessary to face it. Cut two 

pieces of the lining material in the same outline 

as the front or back — wherever the opening 

comes — and two inches wide. Baste one on the 

outside of each front or back, stitch a seamed edge, and turn the facing over toward the 

inside. Place a row of stitching one-eighth of an inch inside the edge and another far 

enough inside the first to allow a whalebone or featherbone to be slipped in. 

If a hem is allowed at the closing edge, turn it over toward the inside of the lining and 
make the two rows of machine-stitching form a casing for the bone. If the waist has a 
back closing, the hem or closing line is usually indicated by a notch at the neck and an- 
other at the bottom of the pattern. Fold a line from one of these notches to the other, 
keeping the hem an equal width, and with a thread of different color from the lining run a 
basting along the edge of the fold. Later this will be turned over for the closing. 

Make a stay for the hooks and eyes from an extra strip of taffeta or thin lining, two 
inches wide. Fold lengthwise through the center and place it on the inside of the lining, 
with its fold at the basting-thread which marks the closing. Turn over both thicknesses 
and baste very carefully. Then stitch with one row of stitching an eighth of an inch back 
from the edge, and another row about three-eighths of an inch inside of that. The method 
is shown in Fig. 234. Pin the fronts together with the waistlines even. Place a tape- 
measure along the front edge, and with pins mark carefully the position for the hooks and 
eyes at every inch point, beginning one inch below the neck. 




Fi£. 234. Notched Seams Before and after 
Binding 



90 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Whalebone can be bought in strips one yard long. 
About three yards are required to bone a waist. Get a 
medium-weight quality and let the whalebone soak in 
tepid water to soften it so the needle can be passed 
through it. Do not use hot water, as it will make the 
bone brittle. 

Round the ends of the bone and shave them for half 
an inch to make the ends thinner, using a dull knife 
or the blade of the scissors. Slip a bone into the cas- 
ing at each side of the closing, allowing it to reach 
within an inch of the top of the first dart, and sew 
through the lining and bone near the top to hold it in 
place. 

The seams should then be boned. Whalebone or the 
uncovered featherbone should be slipped into a bone- 
casing. Mark on each seam the 
point where the bone is to start. 
From five inches above the 
waistline is the rule, to one- 
quarter of an inch above the fin- 




Fig. 235. Applying Bone Casing 

ished edge of the waist. Pro- 
cure a piece of single bone-ca- 
sing or Prussian binding, as it is 
called. This may be had in 
several colors, but black or 
white is to be preferred. Dou- 
ble over one end an inch and 
over-hand the edges together 
to make a little pocket. Do 
not sew this. pocket fast to the 
seam, but begin three-quarters 
of an inch down from its fold 
and sow the casing on with a 
running stitch. (Fig. 235.) 

Sew both edges, holding the 
casing somewhat full and keep- 
ing it over the middle of the seam. 

Run the bone into the pocket at the bottom of each 
casing and fasten it at the top by sewing through both 
bone and casing. Sew through again three inches above 
the waistline. Then push the bone very tight, so it 
will stretch out the seam and give a curve at the waist 
(Fig. 236) , and sew again there. If the finished edge 
extends below the waistline, fasten the bone again one- 
half inch from the bottom. (Fig. 236.) Do not spring 
the bones in the front so much as at the sides and back. 
The greatest curve is required at the under-arm seams, 
less at the front and oack. 

For Covered Featherbone, the method of boning a waist is somewhat different, since it is 
stitched to the lining by machine, without an applied casing. 



Fig. 236. Whalebone 
Properly 5prung 




Fig. 237. Hem or Facing Covering 
Hooks and Hyes 



LINED WAISTS 



91 



The seams of the lining are pressed, bound and marked as for whaleboning. The cover- 
ing is ripped about half an inch on one end of the featherbone, the bone is cut away, and 
then the covering is turned over the end, giving it a neat finish. This end is placed over 

the seam at the mark. Keep the center of the bone 
over the seam; stitch it in position. Care must be 
taken to push the bone up and draw the lining 
down while stitching, as otherwise the lining is 
likely to be held in on the bone, causing it to 
wrinkle. Its inexpensiveness and convenience are 
qualities that have made featherbone very popu- 
lar with dressmakers. It is obtainable in many 
different styles, and in twelve and thirty-six yard 
lengths, so that it can be used without waste. 
The bone is cut off a trifle shorter than the mark 
for the length of the waist. 

The hooks and eyes, alternating, are sewed on 

atter the bone has been slipped into the easing. 

(Fig. 237.) Separate the two rings of the hooks at 

Place them well inside the edge; sew through the 

this latter sewing a quarter of an inch 




rig. 238. Facing the Bottom of the Waist 



the back to make the hooks lie flatter 

two rings and also around the end of each hook 

from the edge. Sew completely through, to 

insure durability, allowing the stitches to 

go through to the right side. Be careful 

when sewing the hooks and eyes on the 

second side of the front to have them ex- 
actly correspond in position to those on the 

opposite side. 

When all the hooks and eyes have been 

sewed on, turn back a seam at the edge of 

the facing piece, and hem it over by hand 

to the row of stitching nearest the edge, 

thus covering the stitches for the hooks and 

eyes, as shown in Fig. 237. 

Many dressmakers prefer to have all the 

hooks on one side and the eyes on the other 

side. If this method is preferred, take 

care again that the hooks and eyes are 

sewed on in such a manner that the waist 

will not gape. The bill of the hook must be 

one-quarter of an inch back from the edge 

of the waist and sewed on firmly through 

the lining at both rings and bill. The eye 

should extend just far enough beyond the 

edge to be easily hooked — one-eighth of an 

inch — and should be sewed firmly at the 

rings and at the edge of the material. The sewing of the hooks and eyes will give a trifle, 

even with the greatest care, when the waist is worn. 

Hem back over the hooks and eyes in this case also, the hem or facing, bringing it 

close up under the turned-over part of the hook, and covering the sewing. 

Baste an inch-wide bias strip of soft crinoline around the bottom of the waist three- 
eighths of an inch from its lower edge on the inside. Turn 
the edge of the waist under a seam's width and catch-stitch 
it to the crinoline. Cut a bias strip of lining one and a half 
inches wide. Turn under one edge and hem it down as a 
facing on the turned-under seam at the bottom of the 
waist. Turn under its other edge and hem it neatly to the 
waist, covering the crinoline. (Fig. 238.) 

Cut a belt of silk or cotton belting sold for this 

,-.. -,.„ purpose. Make it three inches longer than the waist 

Fig. 240. Hook and Lye on r _ , . ■,■,,,„ x. j 

Ends of Bell Tape measure. Turn back an inch and a half at each end, 




Fig. 239. 



Reenforced Fiont and Manner of 
Attaching Inside Belt 




92 



THE DRESSMAKER 



sew a hook on one edge and an eye on the other, and hem the raw edges over them as 
shown in Fig. 240. Mark the center of the belt and sew it to the center-front seam if the 
waist opens in the back — or the center-back, if it opens in the front — and to the next 
seam on each side, with the lower edge of the belt one-half inch above the waistline. (Fig. 
239.) Sew across the width of the belt with a long cross-stitch to the inside of the seam. 
If the material of the waist is thin and transparent, the fitted lining should first have a 
scant draping of mousseline which serves to cover the seams of the waist and holds out 
the outside material. 

Sew the eyes to the back seams of the lining to correspond to the hooks on the skirt, 
making the waist belt overlap. 

THE OUTER WAIST is easily managed if you have a carefully fitted lining for a founda- 
tion. In using material of a width that requires piecing, the place of joining must be deter- 
mined by the design of the waist. The join must come where it will be least noticeable. 

This may be the center front, if the waist has much ful- 
ness at that point. Or, if there are tucks at the side, 
extending from shoulder to waist, the seam may be made 
at the sewing line of one of the tucks. 

The waist is now ready to be draped, the process be- 
ing greatly facilitated by the use of the bust form. In 
the draped waists, whenever they are in style, the 
outside material usually is not caught in with the lining 
at any seam except the shoulder seam. However, there 
are occasions when the material is caught in the under- 
arm seams as well. In these instances the under-arm 
seams are not stitched with the other seams of the lin- 
ing, but are left basted until the entire waist is draped. 
The material for the back of the waist, after it is pre- 
pared according to the pattern instructions, should be 
pinned to the lining straight down the center of the back, 
drawn well down and across toward the sides. Pin it 
at the shoulder, the armhole and down the under-arm 
seam, stretching it down that it may lie smooth and flat, 
and placing the pins near enough together to hold it 
well in place. Gather the fulness and draw it toward 
the center of the back. 

The front is then draped on the lining according to the 
lines of perforations and notches at the neck and shoulder. 
Very elastic material may require to be stretched or 
drawn a little more tightly than one of firmer texture, and 
allowance must be made for this fact in matching the 
perforations that indicate where the outer material is to 
be tacked to the lining. 

When the front drapery is arranged from the shoulder 
to the bustline, pin carefully about the armhole, then arrange the drapery below the 
bust; make the rounded part of the bust that lies at the second part of the lining a central 
point from which to work the drapery in both directions. Draw the front drapery toward 
the under-arm seams, turn under the raw edge and fit it in a straight, well-shaped line to 
cover the raw edge of the back drapery. Pin it hi place to be sure the line is good. 
After the other side has been draped and pinned in the same manner remove the waist 
from the form and baste by slip-stitching. Stitch the seam by machine and press it open. 
This method is preferred by most people and looks neater when finished than slip-stitch- 
ing, although the latter may be done closely and used as the final sewing if preferred. 

Fig. 241 shows another method of finishing the seam under the arm. The waist is 
draped as directed, but after pinning the drapery in a good line, baste this folded edge 
through the front drapery only. Remove the pins, and place a row of machine stitching 
close to the edge, using silk the same color as the material. Pin the stitched edge in place 
again, stitching it down well. 

Pin the other side in the same manner, remove the waist from the form and stitch by 
hand, taking the stitches through the row of machine stitching made in the front por- 
tion. Try on the waist after draping, because it often happens that boning pushes the 




Fig. 241. The Front Waist-Drapery 

Lapped Across the Back at 

the Under-Arm 



LINED WAISTS 



93 



I 




Fig. 242. 



Waist Drapery Sewed to the 
Lining 



waist up so that it needs taking up a little more on the shoulders. If it is correct, stitch 
the shoulders. Then press them open and finish like the other seams. 

If the material is heavy, or there is any likelihood of the lower edge of the waist being 

bulky, the material is not turned under the bottom 
of the waist, but is sewed securely to the lining just 
below the waistline, the material cut away below 
this line, and the raw edge covered with a piece of 
seam binding laid on flat and sewed on both its edges 
as shown in Fig. 242. The girdle covers the line of 
sewing. 

Never bind the armhole of a lined waist, as the 
lining serves as sufficient stay. When a sleeve of 
elbow length or an even shorter length is used com- 
plete directions for making it will be found in the 
pattern instructions. 

If t he collar is to be of woolen or silk like the gown, 
it should be lined with a piece of soft, light silk. 
Catch-stiteh the collar supports to the silk, taking 
care to sew through the silk thoroughly. Turn over all the edges of the collar and 
catch-stitch to the lining. Slip-stitch the lower edge to the neck of the bodice. 

If closed at the left side, the entire collar, except the small portion at the back, is stitch- 
ed firmly to the neck. The neck of the lining at the left side, which is free, is bound with 
seam binding. For a waist with a front closing, bind the left side of the neck with seam 
binding, pin the collar around the right side, with the center of the collar at the front 
edge of the right front, and the right end of the collar at the center-back seam. Sew 
the collar to the neck, being careful not to catch the stitches through the outside mate- 
rial. Sew four hooks on the 
left end of the collar (on the 
inner side) and one to its 
lower edge about half-way 
between the center front and 
back. 

Cut the facing (preferably 
of silk) the same shape as the 

collar. Turn in the edges of mA 

the facing and hem it to the 

collar on the left side, and to to 

the neck of the right side of 
the waist. Work four but- 
tonhole loops at the right of 
the collar, and one in the left side of the waist at the neck. The collar and facing are 
shown in Fig. 243. If the collar is made of transparent material, the mousseline de soie 
should be used instead of the silk and the collar may be held up by collar supports. 

For a woman having a very short neck, a high boned collar is an ahsolute torture. At 
tl e same time, some support must be given to the collar or it w ill look wilted and untidy, 
and make the neck seem still sh< rter and stouter. As the ordinary way of placing tl e 
supports diagonally at the front does not seem to prevent their poking into the chin, it is a 
good plan to use two supports about three and one-half inches long, finished. 1 h( se two 
support are then crossed. The same method is used if the collar lining is taffeta silk. 




Fig. 243. Collar Applied to Neck 



IN A FITTED WAIST MADE WITH A YOKE, the yoke is mounted on the lining be- 
fore the waist is draped. The yoke line must be marked through the perforations on the 
pattern to the lining, and then outlined with a colored basting thread as a guide in finish- 
ing the lining if it is to be cut from under the yoke. The yoke and collar are cut by the 
patterns provided for them, and fitted to position on the lining. Usually the yoke is cut 
in one piece, particularly if it is of lace or embroidery. 

If the yoke is in one piece, first cut the yoke of lining material and fit the shoulder seams 
if necessary. Now place the center front of the yoke lining, if the waist opens at the back, 
on a lengthwise fold of the yoke material and cut it in one piece. This brings the yoke 
opening on the bias. If the yoke is of lace, it is better to cut one or two thicknesses of 



94 THE DRESSMAKER 

mousseline de soie to soften the effect. The mousseline is stretched over the waist lining 
first, and hemmed to the lining three-eighths of an inch below the colored thread mark- 
ing the yoke line. The lining is then cut away, and the edge turned toward the mousse- 
line at the marked line and hemmed down. Stretch the lace over the mousseline, care- 
fully basting all points around the neck, arm's-eye and the yoke line. The lace is onen 
sewed to the lining at the bottom without turning in the edge. 

The Lace Collar is also lined with one or two thicknesses of the mousseline. Measure 
the correct length and height of the collar and cut one of stiff paper. Mark off the seam 
with pencil. Also mark where supports are to be sewed. 

Cut one or two thicknesses of mousseline like the pattern, and baste to the stiff paper. 
Procure either the bronzebone, which can be bought in the right length, or the narrow 
silk-covered featherbone. If featherbone, cut the lengths so that the casing may be 
slipped back three-eighths of an inch and the bone cut off. Draw the covering over the end 
and turn it back and fasten it. The featherbone is then catch-stitched to the mousseline. 

The edge of the bone should be one-eighth of an inch from the top and botton of the 
collar. Cover the collar with lace, turn the top down three-eighths of an inch to the 
wrong side and hem, or turn to the right side and cover with applied trimming. The top 
edge must be slit to keep it from drawing. The lower edge is turned to the under side and 
basted to the yoke. It should be tried on and any necessary adjustment made around 
the neck and at the back. 

The collar may be slip-stitched from the right side, or the waist may be turned to the 
wrong side and the collar backstitched to the yoke, taking care not to take the stitches 
through to the right side. The support is placed at the right end on the line of marking, 
the edge is turned back one-quarter of an inch beyond the traced line, and hemmed or 
faced. Sew four hooks on the overlapping end, and eyes or silk loops along the other end 
in corresponding positions. 

The meeting edge of a lace collar and yoke should be appliqued together. To obtain 
this effect, the mousseline yoke and collar are first fitted and joined together. The edges 
of the lace are left free at this point, and, by cutting and weaving together, the pattern 
appears continuous. In places where the mesh is too thin to disguise the seam, sections 
of the pattern may be cut from the lace and applied to cover it. 

In a low-neck evening gown the bertha or collar effect is put on according to the direc- 
tions of the pattern. Turn in a seam at the top of the bodice, including the top edge 
of the bertha, the lining and outside waist. Baste the seam in place, then hem over it a 
facing of bias silk three-quarters of an inch wide. Be careful when hemming down the 
lower edge to catch through the lining only. Use this facing as a casing for a narrow 
ribbon, which should be drawn in when the waist is worn, holding it close to the neck. 

THE DRAPING OF THE GIRDLE completes the gown. All kinds of material are 
used, from the heavier velvets and cloths down to the sheerest chiffons, gauzes and ribbons. 
The girdle must, of course, harmonize with the trimming of the gown. 

If the girdle is of silk or velvet, the material is usually cut on a perfect bias, and the 
edges hemmed or catch-stitched. Begin by pinning the center of the girdle to the center 
front of the waist, and draw very firmly toward the back from both sides of the front. It 
is best to pin a part of the draping on each side of the waist alternately, as sometimes the 
bias does not stretch evenly on both sides, and it may be found necessary to move the pins 
at the center front a trifle in order to make the bias draw more naturally. The draping is 
tacked to the lining wherever it is pinned. The back edges can be finished with a small 
shirred heading, which is allowed to extend beyond the hooks in order to cover them when 
the girdle is closed. 

When the waist is to be worn inside of the skirt, the girdle is usually separate. Cut 
pieces of featherbone the desired length for the front, back and sides. Hooks and eyes 
are sewed firmly to the two featherbones used at the back closing. Cut a piece of belting 
an inch longer than waist measure, and turn back the ends one-half inch. Sew the feath- 
erbones at the back, dropping the bone one-half inch below the belt. The front bone is 
sewed to the middle of the belt, and the other bones at the sides and back. This founda- 
tion is now put on the figure, and the girdle draped over it. 

THE SLEEVES are considered by some people as the most difficult part of a cos- 
tume. Great caution is necessary to keep them exactly alike from the time the sleeves are 



L1NE.D WAISTS 



95 




Fig. 244. Fulness at FJbow 
of Sleeve Lining 



cut until they are finished and sewed in the armhole. If not cor- 
rectly cut and basted, one sleeve may be larger than the other. 
If they are not stitched in the armhole exactly alike, one may 
twist while the other hangs without a wrinkle. 

The first step before cutting the sleeves is to study the pat- 
tern instructions. Measure the sleeve and arm and make altera- 
tions in the pattern, if necessary, as instructed in Chapter XIV, 
"The Use of Butterick Patterns." Be sure that the elbow of 
the sleeve comes in the right place. 

Next, the sleeve must be cut accurately and carefully basted. 
The seams should be pinned even at both top and bottom, and 
the extra fulness of the upper back edge gathered in at the 
elbow. (Pig. 244). 

To be very accurate, the pattern should have the outlet 
seam marked with tailor's tacks. 
Baste the front seam three-eighths of 
an inch from the seam edge. The 
back seam is basted through the line 
of perforations. A one-seam sleeve 
should be basted with the upper and 
lower edges even. 

In joining waist and sleeve seams, 

short basting stitches are used, 

as shown in Fig. 244. Never place 

machine stitching directly on top of a 

basting. If the seam is stitched just 

outside the basting there will be no 

difficulty in removing the latter. 

Enough emphasis can not be laid on 

careful basting, for next to cutting, it is the groundwork of 

dressmaking. If it is poorly done, it is the source of many 

future difficulties. 

// a Fancy Sleeve is to be made, the lining must be fitted 
first and the material draped or arranged later. In basting 
the lining, place the under piece of the sleeve upon the upper 
with the notches of the front seam together, and pin in posi- 
tion. Then baste this seam with small running stitches. Pin 
the back seam through the outlet per- 
forations from the top to the upper 
notch, and again from the lower notch 
to the bottom. The extra material 
of the upper sleeve portion is gath- 
ered into the space between the 

notches to give room for the elbow. The seam is then basted. The 
sleeve should always be basted as the pattern directs, and the 
same width seam will be taken off both upper and under sleeve por- 
tion. The outlet seam should be basted on the line of perfora- 
tions. 

Adjust the sleeve in the proper position, draw it up well on the 
arm, so that the elbow is in the correct position, and pin the 
sleeve in the armhole with notches matched, as directed in the pattern instructions. 
Distribute the fulness fairly evenly. More of it should come on the top of the arm than 
at the back or front. 

In a sleeve which sets correctly after basting, it will be noticed that the front seam, in- 
stead of lying perfectly straight when laid flat on the table, will roll somewhat toward the 
under side of the sleeve from the center of the seam to the wrist, as shown in Fig. 245. This 
is quite important, as many workers imagine that the sleeve should set perfectly flat the 
length of this seam. 

Drape the material on the sleeve lining, remove the bastings and press the seams flat. 





i 



Fig. 245. Correct Location of 
Front Seam 



Fig. 246. Wrist of Sleeve 
Prepared for Facing 



96 



THE DRESSMAKER 



Clip the front seam, then overcast or bind with a narrow silk binding ribbon. If it is de- 
sired to have a firm wrist edge an interlining of soft crinoline is placed at the bottom, one 
to two inches deep. With the sleeve right side out, roll the crinoline until it can be slipped 
into the wrist. Place the hand inside and move the lingers about until the crinoline fits the 
sleeve without either drawing or falling in folds; then baste. The rest of the work is done 
from the wrong side. Turn the sleeve inside out and turn up the bottom three-eighths of 
an inch. (Fig. 246.) Catch-stitch it to hold it down, then press. Face the wrist with a 
bias piece of silk, and slip-stitch or hem it at the upper and lower edges. Any trimming 

is added and the sleeve fully finished before it is 
basted in the armhole. After the sleeve has been 
sewed into the armhole the seam is overcast. 

A BLOUSE -WAIST is generally made with- 
out a lining. In some cases, for instance in a 
silk waist, a lining is desirable to save the silk 
from wear and strain. It differs from the lining 
used for a closely fitted tailored or draped waist 
in that it reaches only to the waistline, has but 
one dart, and, as the curved fitting at the waist 
and hips is not required, it contains fewer pieces. 
Consequently, a simpler method of boning than 
that of the fitted waist may be employed. 

The pieces should be basted together and the 
lining fitted, any necessary alterations made and 
the under-arm seams stitched. Usually a hem is 
allowed for at the closing edges, but even if only 
a seam is provided, the closing line should be 
marked. 

In fitting, bring the closing line of both fronts 
together, and pin along the tracing, forming a 
seam toward the outside. Alterations may be 
made on this seam, if necessary, in which case a 
new closing line must be marked. If the closing 
edge is to be faced instead ot hemmed, trim the 
edge, leaving only a seam's width. Cut a straight 
piece of the lining material two inches wide, and 
long enough to cover the length of both the front 
edges. Place the piece with one edge to the 
edge of the lining on the outside, and stitch a 
seam. Turn the facing over, making the fold 
come exactly at the seam, and stitch one-eighth 
of an inch back from the edge. 

The casing for the bone in the front edge is 
made by a second row of stitching, as shown in 

Fig. 234. At each of the seams, also, a casing is made in the same way. A bone is run 

into each casing and tacked in place, as seen in the dart seam in Fig. 247. 

The bone in the casing of each closing edge reaches only as high as the bone in the dart 

seam. If the closing is in the back, the bone may reach a height of five inches. 

The under-arm seam of the blouse-waist is usually basted separate from the outer 

blouse. The shoulder seams may also be stitched separately, if desired, or they may be 

stitched in the seam with the lining. 




Fig. 247. 



Dart in Lining Stitched 
for the Bone 



TO CLOSE A BLOUSE- WAIST when a lining is used as shown in Fig. 247, pin the two 
front portions of the blouse together, with the right side lapping over the left, as it should 
be when finished. Hook the lining at the closing; place the blouse over it with its cen- 
ter line directly over the closing line of the lining. Then pin each side in position and 
baste together around the neck and armhole edges. 

Small hooks are sewed on the right front, and buttonholed loops to correspond are 
worked on the left. If preferred, the closing of the blouse may be made by means of a fly 
with buttonholes on the right front and small buttons on the left. 



CHAPTER XVII 

UNLINED DRE55ES 

FORMERLY the kind of dresses that were made without linings was strictly limited 
to those of washable materials, such as muslins, ginghams, lawns, etc. But so 
popular has the unlined dress become that we are now quite accustomed to seeing 
organdies, voiles, and even crepe de Chines made up without linings. They 
are usually worn over slips, or well-cut corset covers and petticoats. 

Before beginning work on the dress, read Chapter XIII, "Cutting Materials, Sponging, 
Etc. " and Chapter XII, "An Efficient Equipment for Dressmaking." 

An unlined dress is really nothing but a blouse or shirt-waist joined to a skirt in what 
is now called "semi-princess style." The instructions given in the chapters "Unlined 
Waists" and "Skirts" will cover every point in the construction of the unlined dress, 
except the matter of the finish at the waistline. In dresses made by a dress pattern 
the waist and skirt should be joined according to the directions given on the pattern. 

Practically any unlined waist can be joined to a skirt in semi-princess style if the 
openings of the two garments come at the same place at the front, side or back. Of 
course the designs and materials of the skirt and waist must be suitable. 

When a skirt and waist are to be joined together each is made and finished inde- 
pendent of the other. But the belt-stay of the waist is basted to the inside of the 
blouse, and the belt of the skirt is basted to the skirt, but not stitched. 

When the two garments are finished put them on with the skirt over the waist. 
Adjust the fulness of the waist becomingly and pin the waist and skirt together. Then 
take them off and baste the two together at the waistline. Try the dress on again to 
make sure that the waistline is exactly right, and rip the belt-stay from the inside of the 

blouse before stitching the belt. 

< 

IN CLOTH, SILK, CREPE DL CHINE DRESSES— in fact, dresses of any material that 
does not require laundering — stitch the waist and skirt together at the top and bottom 
of the skirt belt. Cut the bottom of the waist away below the belt and beneath it to 
remove all unnecessary thickness at the waistline. The belt can be covered with a 
girdle or sash. 

IN LINEN, GINGHAM, PIQUE, etc., DRESSES, the skirt belt generally finishes the 
waistline of the dress. It can be made either of the dress material or of some other 
wash material of a contrasting color. It should be stitched at the top and bottom after 
the waist and skirt are basted together. The bottom of the waist can be cut awav 
below the belt, but not beneath it until the dress has been laundered. Then if the 
waist shrinks there is an inch or so of material under the belt by which it can be length- 
ened. After the dress has been laundered two or three times this can be cut away. 

IN LINGERIE DRESSES the belt is generally covered with lace or embroidery joined 
together to the required width. After the skirt and waist are basted together pin the lace 
belt over the waistline of the dress with its lower edge just below the lower edge of the 
skirt belt. Sew it securely in place, taking care not to stitch through the skirt belt. 
After the lower edge of the lace is stitched down, rip off the skirt belt and the belt- 
stay of the blouse and then sew down the upper edge of the lace belt. In this way you 
get rid of the two unnecessary belts. 

The bottom of the waist can be cut away below the belt before the dress is washed. 
Afterward, if the waist does not shrink, it can be cut away under the belt as well. 

Instructions for applying lace and insertions are given in Chapter I, "Sewing Stitches." 

The more severe unlined dresses and shirt-waist suits are finished in tailor fashion, 

97 



CHAPTER XVII! 

MATERNITY DRL55LS 



GARMENTS for maternity wear are so designed that they may be adjusted com- 
fortably to the changing figure and yet keep the trim appearance of a fitted gown. 
The clothing should be so skilfully planned and made that no undue pressure 
will rest upon any part of the body. If corsets are worn they must be very 
loose, and be laced with rubber lacings at the back and ovei' the abdomen. Dresses 
and negligees may be made of attractive materials, prefer- 
ably of soft wool or silk, and in plain, solid colors rather 
than figured effects. They may be prettily trimmed with. 
lace, embroidery and ribbon. 

The great trouble has always been with linings, for 
when they were once made and fitted there was no way of 
gradually enlarging them. This difficulty has been overcome 
by lacing the front seams or the darts. (Fig. 24S.) 
Other necessary changes may be made by moving a few 
hooks and tapes. The waist lining should be basted and 
fitted in the usual way, making it fit neatly but not too 
snugly. Turn back the hem at the front of the lining and 
stitch it with the usual two rows of stitching, making the 
first row three-eighths of an inch, and the second three- 
quarters of an inch, from the edge. Work eyelets near the 
edge the entire length of the front of both sides, and 
run a very soft and pliable bone in the casing formed by 
the two rows of the stitching. Or, place the bone near the 
edge, as in an ordinary lining, and sew eyes, but not the 
hooks, along both edges, and lace through them. It would 
be well to sew a fly or underlap about two inches wide 
underneath each front, and sew hooks and eyes on their 
front edges. Lace with a round elastic cord, such as is used 
for corset lacing. 

After the lining has been fitted, the under-arm seams should be pressed open and 
bound. The correct basting line in the side-front and side-back seams should be marked 
with tailors' tacks or chalk. 

Cut four strips of lining on the bias, making each strip three and a half inches wide 
and a bit longer than the side seams of the front and back. Baste a strip to the under 
side of the side-front seam with the raw edges together. Baste and stitch them three- 
eighths of an inch back of the edge. This forms a small plait under each seam. (Fig. 
248.) In sewing on the bias strip, one must be particularly careful to ease it over the 
bust on the outer edges of the side seam. In sewing the strip to the second edge of 
the side seam — the edge nearer the center front — the bias band should be stretched at 
the bust to make it easy over the curve of the figure. Baste the second bias strip to 
the second side seam in the same way as the first. Take out the basting threads in 
the side seams and sew back three-eighths of an inch from the edges. This gives you a 
small fold on which to work the eyelets l'cr the lacing of the fronts. 

The other two bias strips are used to finish the side-back seams of the lining. They 
are handled just like the side-front seams and are also laced together instead of being 
stitched. The edges of the center-back seam are closed in an ordinary seam. 

The eyelets should be placed an inch and a quarter apart and a quarter of an inch in 
from the edge of the fold. (Fig. 248.) They are made with a stiletto and worked with 
the ordinary buttonhole stitch. 

98 




Fig. 248. French Lining wilh Plait 
and Lacings 



MATERNITY DRESSES 



99 




Fig. 249. The Upper Part of Skirt 



In a lining made with a dart 

instead of a seam to the 

shoulder in the front, rip the 

darts open and mark the seams 

with a basting thread ; then 

make that thread the edge of 

a tuck, one-quarter inch deep, 

running not quite to the top 

of the dart. Work eyelets or 

sew eyes just back of the tucks 

of each edge of the dart seam, 

and slip a round bone into 

each tuck. 

The shortening in the front, 

which makes the ordinary skirt 

undesirable even when the belt 

is enlarged, is provided against 

in the maternity skirt by an extension at the top of the pattern as shown in Fig. 249. 

The crossline perforations indicate where a ribbon casing should be sewed on. A ribbon 

or tape can be run through it, coming out at a small buttonholed opening in the center 

front. When fitting this skirt 
pin a piece of tape around the 
figure where the belt would 
naturally come. The tape will 
show whether the perforations 
are in the right place for the 
casing. The part of the skirt 
which extends above the casing 
should have its raw edge over- 
east or bound. As the skirt 
becomes short across the front 
and sides, the casing may be 
moved up toward the top to 
lengthen it. 

For maternity wear women 
should use rather long, loose or 
semi-fitted coats that will pro- 
tect the figure. If a semi-fitted 
coat is used it should be double- 
breasted so that the buttons can be moved over as the figure grows larger. In a well- 
made coat a woman can go about as usual without feeling uncomfortable or conspicuous. 




FiS. 250. The Inside Finish of Skirt 



M 




Fig. 251. Edge of Plain 
Seam Pinked 



Fig. 252. Edges of Plain 
Seam Bound 



J 



CHAPTER XIX 

TAILORED 5E.AM5 

ANY KINDS of seams are used in the making of tailored costumes. It is neces- 
sary to keep the cloth extremely smooth at the seams and to make the stitching as 
even as possible. In making a garment that requires a tailored finish one should 
not be sparing in the use of bastings 

and the hot iron. He was a wise and honest 

tailor who declared "In the flat-iron is our 

fortune," and the dressmaker who would 

be successful along the same lines will do 

well to keep in mind this well-tried maxim. 

IN PLAIN SEAMS of very closely wov- 
en material that does not fray or ravel, the 
edges of the seams may be simply notched 
or pinked, and pressed open. (Fig. 251.) 

Plain seams of jackets, cloaks and other 
garments made of heavy material that will fray should be bound with satin, silk or 
farmers' satin. This is cut in bias strips just a trifle wider than the depth of the seam 
after it is closed. Stitch the binding on the right side of the seam edge, close to the edge, 
then baste it flat, covering the edge. Close the seam of the garment with bastings catch- 
ing through both cloth and bind- 
ings. Then stitch. 

A better way, requiring more 
labor, however, is to stitch the 
seam and press it open. After 
pressing, the seam will have 
spread at the edges, especially 
if it is curved, and the binding 
can be safely applied without any 
chance of pulling later. 

Baste the strip of binding on 
the right side of the edges; turn 
it over the raw seam edge and 
fell it down on the underside, keeping the turned edges of the binding even on both 
sides of the seam edge. (Fig. 252.) It is finished with one row of machine stitching 
close to the edge of the binding. 

When Trimming is to be applied over seams, the plain seam is used. It should be 
finished completely, and pressed before 
the trimming is added. 

Joined Seams of garments that have 
the lining cut like the outer pattern 
and stitched together, are finished by 
turning in the raw edges of the seams 
of both cloth and lining toward each 
other and closing the edge with over- 
hand or running stitches. Where the 
seam is curved, the edges must be 
notched every now and then to prevent the garment from pulling at such points. 

AN ORDINARY TAILORED SEAM, which makes a good neat finish, is the plain seam 
pressed with both edges turned to one side, and a row of machine stitching run in neatly 

100 



Fig. 253. Stitching on One 
5ide of Seam 



Fig: 254. Stitching on Both 
Sides of Seam 




Fig. 255. Broad Seam Stitch 



TAILORED SEAMS 



101 



along the one side of the seam from the right side of the garment as shown in Fig. 253. Or, 
if preferred, a row of stitching may be applied to each side of the seam. (Pig. 254.) In the 
latter case, however, the seam should be pressed open before running in the stitching. 

.1 Broad Scam is a plain wide seam with four rows of ornamental stitching. (Fig. 255.) 
This seam is mostly used on tailored garments of heavy materials. 

A Cord or Tuck Seam is a plain seam with both edges turned to one side, and a row of 
stitching run one-fourth of an inch from the seam, through the three thicknesses of the 





Fig 256. Cord Seam 



Fig. 257. Welt Seam 



goods. This creates a raised or cord-like effect. (Fig. 2.5G.) The undesirable thickness 
on the under side may be cut away at the inner edge as close to the stitching as possible. 

A WELT SEAM is made by first stitching a plain seam with the one edge of the mate- 
rial left very narrow. Then turn back the fold and baste down close along the narrower 
seam edge. Stitch parallel to the line of bastings, keeping the seam flat. Fig. 257 shows 
this seam with the machine stitches ripped out at the top to expose the narrow seam edge 
underneath. 

A Do able- Stitched Welt Seam has an additional row of stitching set in one-fourth inch 
or less from the edge. (Fig. 258.) 

An Open-Welt Seam is first basted as for a plain seam. The tuck is then basted down 





Fig. 258. Double-Stitched Welt 



Fig. 259. Open Welt 



flat, with the stitches directly over the line of bastings in the seam. With one row of 
machine stitching the tuck-like fold and the seam are made secure. (Fig. 259.) 

The raw edges on the underside of an open-welt seam may be bound with velveteen 
or with narrow grosgrain ribbon, which can be bought for the purpose. Baste the bind- 
ing over the double seam edges, and stitch through all the thicknesses as near the edge of 
the binding as possible. (Fig. 260, on next page.) 



102 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 260 Open Welt Seam, Bound 

straps of the material are stitched for ornamental 
purposes. The strips for these straps may be cut 
lengthwise of the material from pieces that are 
left after cutting out the garment, but experience 
has taught that when silk is used it is better to cut 
them on the bias, and when the material is cloth 
the better result will be obtained if the straps are 
cut crosswise of the goods. 

For a finished strap that is five-eighths of an inch 
wide, the strips are cut one and one-fourth inches 
wide. Join the two raw edges with loose overhand 
stitches as shown in Fig. 10, page 4; spread out the 



A SLOT SEAM is made by basting the seam 
as for a plain seam. The basting stitches should 
be short enough to keep the seam firm while 
it is being pressed open. Then baste an un- 
derstrip of the material a trifle narrower than 
the .combined width of the seam edges, directly 
under the basted seam. (Fig. 262.) From the 
right side, stitch three-eighths of an inch on 
each side of the center. Remove the bastings. 
The turned edges, now free, give the slot ap- 
pearance, whence the name. (Fig. 261.) 

A Double- Stitched Slot Seam is produced by 
stitching another row each side of the center 
close to the turned edges. (Fig. 261.) 

STRAP SEAMS are plain seams over which 




Fig. 261. Double-Stitched Slot Seam 




! T~ [ 


f. 

1 


1 . * '■ : ! 

j 

t : - i 


i.V 



strap with the line of joining directly on the 
center, and press. 

When making strap seams it is desirable to 
graduate the thickness at the seam as much as 
possible. For this reason, cut the seams either 
wide enough so the edges on the underside will 
extend bej'ond the edges of the strap, or, cut 
them narrower so the edges of the strap will ex- 
tend beyond the seam edges. 

Baste the straps carefully over the seams, with 
a line of bastings run along each edge. (Fig. 263.) 
When it is necessary to piece the straps for 
long seams, avoid having the joining seam in a prominent place on the garment. 

A LAPPED or IMITATION STRAP SEAM is the most practical finish for unlined gar- 
ments. The edges at the seams are lapped and the raw edges turned in with a row of 
stitches finishing it alike on the right and wrong sides. (Fig. 264.) 



Fig. 262. Reverse Side of Slot Seam 




Fig 263. Strap Seam 



Fig. 264. Imitation Strap Seam 



TAILORED SE.AM5 



103 



A Raw-Edge Lapped Seam is used in making 
garments of heavy, closely woven material 
that will not fray or ravel. The seam edges 
must be cut very accurately and smoothly. 
Baste the edges evenly, lapping them the full 
allowance, and stitch as near the edge of the 
upper lap as possible. A second row of stitch- 
ing five-eighths of an inch from the first gives it a 
neat and tailored finish. The seam on the under 
side should be trimmed off evenly. (Fig. 265.) 

One should be very careful in deciding on 
the style of seam used on a tailored garment. 
Tweeds, homespuns, friezes, and all other rather 
loosely woven woolen materials should be fin- 
ished with bound seams. In linens, pongees 
and crashes one should use the cord, bound or 
lapped seam. Broadcloth, meltons, kerseys, 
covert, and other heavy driving cloths can be 
pinked, as they are so closely woven that they 
will not ravel. To have a good tailored look the machine-stitchings on any seam 
not be too fine. The thread and needle should be of medium thickness and the 
should correspond in size. 




Pig. 265. Raw-Ldge Lapped 5eam 



must 
stitch 



CHAPTER XX 

POCKLT5 





Fig. 267. 



Fig. 266. Facing of the Slash Pocket 

opening through to the outside. 



Pushing Facing Through 
to Wrong Side 



A PHASE OF DRESSMAKING that is generally regarded as tedious and difficult is 
the work involved in putting pockets neatly into a garment. The difficulty, how- 
ever, is one that can easily be overcome by the simple remedy of "knowing how." 
The various styles of pockets used on tailored and boys' suits which require some 
technical knowledge will be treated in this chapter. 

A PATCH POCKET is, as its name implies, simply a patch sewed on three of its sides 
to the outside of the garment. Patch pockets vary in size and shape according to the 

style of the garment and the position they occupy. 
The upper edge that is 
left open may be sim- 
ply hemmed or faced, 
and trimmed in any 
way that the character 
of the garment may 
suggest. In all cases 
the essential feature of 
a patch pocket is neat- 
ness. 

A SLASH POCKET 

is one that is made on 
the inside of the gar- 
ment and has a slit 
Mark the line for the opening with tailors' tacks. 
Run a line of bastings in colored thread through the perforations to mark the line still 
more sharply, letting the bastings show on both sides of the material. 

Cut a piece of the suit material for a facing. It should be about three inches wide and 
an inch longer than the pocket opening. Baste it face down to the right side of the 
garment so that its center comes exactly over the pocket opening and the facing itself 
extends half an inch beyond each end of the open- 
ing. (Fig. 266.) From the wrong side of the gar- 
ment run anoth- 
er row of col- 
ored bastings 
along the line 
for the pocket 
opening so that 
the second row 
will show 
through on the 
pocket facing. 

From the 
right side place 
a row of ma- 
chine stitching 
on each side of 
the pocket line 
and about an 
Fig. 268. Pocket Slipped Under the Facing eighth of 

104 





a n Fig. 269. Pccket Turned up and Stitched 



POCKE.TS 



105 




Fig. 2 70. Inside View of a Slash Pocket 




FiS. 271 



f a 51ash Pocket 



inch from it. (Fig. 266.) Tie the ends of the threads firmly so that the stitching can not 
pull out, and then cut through the pocket line with a sharp knife, cutting through both 
the facing and the garment material. Push the facing through the slit. (Fig. 267.) 

Rebaste the facing from the outside, letting it form a head or cording an eighth of an 
inch deep at the edges of the pocket. It should be stitched on the upper edge of the 
pocket hole from the right side. The pocket edges should be cross-stitched together to 
hold them in shape until the rest of the work on the garment is finished. Turn down 
the upper edge of the pocket facing as close to the stitching as possible, and press it 
flat to the wrong side of the garment. (Fig. 269.) 

Cut from strong cotton or light-weight canvas a pocket piece about twelve and a half 

inches long and two inches wider than the 
pocket opening. Shape one end of the pocket 
like the curved pocket opening and insert it 

■f ' -<&. between the lower pocket facing and the 

garment, close to the opening. (Fig. 268.) 
Baste it in place from the wrong side, turn 
the garment portion over to the right side, 
and stitch through both facing and pocket. 
This row of stitching should be set close to 
the pocket opening. Turn under the lower 
edge of the pocket facing and stitch it to the 
pocket (Fig. 268), but be careful not to stitch 
through the garment. 

Now turn up the pocket about four and a 
half inches from the opening and baste it in 
place with its upper edge toward the top of th& 
garment. From the right side, stitch through 
the garment and the pocket along the upper 
edge of the pocket opening. Turn under 
the edge of the upper part of the facing 
and hem it to the pocket. The easiest 
way to do it is from the right side, pushing 
the pocket and facing through the slit so that 
you can get at it easily. 

The sides of the pocket are closed with a 

Fig. 2 72. When the Pocket Opening is sin S le row of machine Stitching about three- 

Perfectly Straight eighths of an inch from the edges, (tig. 209.) 




106 



THE DRESSMAKER 



A Perfectly Straight Opening has a facing of material applied as directed above. (Figs. 
266-267.) Two pocket pieces are nut of pocketing or drill, the lower four and a half inches 
long, the upper piece five inches long. Both pieces should be an inch wider than the open- 
ing. They are slipped under the facings, basted and stitched from the right 
side. Strengthen the ends of the opening with a bar tack. 

The raw edges of the facings are turned under and stitched to the pocket pieces. The 
upper pocket piece is then turned down over the lower and basted and stitched to it 
around its three open sides. The raw edges may be bound or overcast. 





Fig. 273. In and Out Lap on Pocket 



Fig. 274. Open Pocket with Lap Cut on a Slant 



IN A POCKET WITH AN IN-AND-OUT LAP the latter is finished completely before 
the pocket is begun. Cut the piece for the lap from the cloth, being careful to have 
the grain or stripe of the goods match when the lap is laid on the jacket in the position it 
will have when the pocket is completed. Turn in and baste a seam on three sides. 
Run two rows of even stitching around the edge from the right side, the first row one- 
eighth of an inch from the edge. Then add a lining of silk, slip-stitching it on by hand. 

. Now lay the finished lap face down on the goods, with its raw edge down, and even with 
the line of bastings that indicate the pocket opening. The rest of the work is the same as 
for' the pocket described above. In this case, however, that section of the facing 
strip which is supplemented by the lap is cut away. (Fig. 273.) 

AN OPEN POCKET is made similar to the one having an in-and-out lap. The lap is 
made straight or on a slant, not quite so wide as for a loose lap, and is joined to the gar- 
ment at the lower edge of the slit in an upright position, and is attached to it at each side. 

SIDE POCKETS OF TROUSERS are usually made in a seam. Cut a square piece of 
silesia or stout lining material the size desired, and, doubling it over, notch the edges to 
indicate the pocket opening. Make corresponding notches in the seam edges of the trous- 
ers. Face the back edge of the pocket on both the right and wrong sides with bias 
facings of the cloth one inch and a quarter wide and long enough to 
extend from the top of the pocket to an inch below the notch in 
the opening. (Fig. 275.) Lay the front edge of the pocket edge to 
edge with the front edge of the trousers on their wrong side and baste 
it to them. In the same seam baste a bias facing of the cloth to the 
front of the trousers on the right side. This facing should be the same 
length and width as the facings on the back edge of the pocket. Stitch 
the pocket, trousers and facing together in a narrow seam. Turn the 
facing over onto the pocket and run a row of stitching close to the fold 
to hold it in place. Turn under the back edge of the facing and stitch 
it to the pocket. Trim off the lower corners of the pocket (Fig. 275), 
and crease the edge for a seam toward the inside. The seam of the 
pocket may then be closed. Baste it first, and close it with one stitch- 
ing. The back edge of the pocket is caught to the front at the 
notches with bar stay-tacks. The upper edges are held by the waist 
band. Fig. 2 75 Side Pocket 




T 



CHAPTER XXI 

SKIRTS 

HE PRESENT STYLE of making skirts without linings has considerably sim- 
plified the work of the dressmaker. These unlined skirts, however, unless made 
of very heavy material, call for well-fitting underskirts as a foundation, and on 
them largely depends the fit of the overskirt. 



THE FOUNDATION SKIRT may or may not be joined in the same belt with the over- 
skirt, as preferred. In either ease, both the overskirt and the foundation are made and 
finished separately, with the exception of the inside belt. The foundation skirt is made 
first. China silk, India silk, taffeta, and satin are good materials for this purpose, though 
for wearing qualities some of the lining materials, mixtures of silk and cotton, or the 
better grades of percalines, sateens, etc., are pre- 
ferred. 

Get a good pattern, and make a careful study of 
the figure which is to be fitted. Many women have 
a slight hollow below the waistline in the back — an 
ugly defect, but one which can easily be overcome. 
It is frequently found in connection with a round 
or prominent abdomen. 




Fig. 2 



A Ruffle Bustle 



A Small Light Bustle that will not interfere with 

the wearer's comfort adds much to the set of the 

skirt on such a figure. It can be made of the same 

material as the foundation skirt. Cut a piece of 

the lining material the size and shape desired for 

a foundation, and hem or pink the edges. Make 

ruffles four inches wide, and treat their edges in the 

same way. Sew several rows of these ruffles across 

the foundation piece, and one all around the edge 

except at the top. (Fig. 276.) The completed bustle may be attached inside the skirt, or 

it may be hung around the waist under the corset by means of a narrow tape sewed at 

each side. 

If the figure to be fitted is abnormally 
short or tall, stout or thin, or out of pro- 
portion in any way, instructions for ad- 
justing the pattern to the figure will be 
found in Chapter XIV, "The Use of 
Butterick Patterns." Separate patterns 
are used for the foundation and skirt ex- 
cept in the case of tunics, overskirts, etc. 
Cut the gores for the foundation skirt ; 
baste them together according to the pat- 
tern instructions and try it on. If the 
skirt is to end in a full plaiting at the lower 
edge, measure the width of the finished 
plaiting and deduct this width from each 
gore in cutting, allowing, of course, three- 
eighths of an inch on each for a seam. 




Fig. 277. Plaiting Stitched on Foundation Skirt 



For the Plaiting, cut strips crosswise of 



107 



108 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 278. Plaited Flounce and Dust Ruffle 



the material. The combined length of these strips 
should measure at least twice the width of the skirt 
at its lower edge. Stitch them together, and make 
a narrow hem along one edge. Then plait the entire 
piece. If a side-plaiting is used, run in a row of 
stitching along the upper edge to keep the plaits flat. 
When an accordion plaiting is used, the upper edge 
may be pressed flat, and a gathering thread run in to 
keep the fulness of the plaits perfectly even. 

Lay the plaiting right side up along the lower 
edge of the skirt on the wrong side. Baste the 
raw edges of skirt and plaiting evenly together. 
Then on the right side of the skirt stitch a narrow 
bias fold or strip over these raw edges as shown 
in Fig. 277. This makes a neat finish on both the 
right and wrong sides or the garment. 

If the foundation skirt is to be full length, the 
plaiting or flounce may be set on above the hem. 
The skirt in this case must, of course, be tried on 
and the even length secured all around the lower 
edge (see Fig. 301B), and the hem or facing finished 
before the flounce is added. 

When the skirt is ready for the flounce, plaiting 
or ruffle, mark a line parallel to the lower edge of the 
skirt a distance above it to equal the width of the 
finished plaiting. Then lay the flounce face down 
over the skirt, with the raw edge over this line and 
the hem of the flounce toward the belt of the skirt. 
Baste a narrow seam along the mark, and stitch. 
Turn the flounce over and stitch again three- 
eighths of an inch from the turned edge, keep- 
ing the plaits even and flat. 

If preferred, the flounce may also be hemmed 
at the top, and stitched to the skirt with a nar- 
row heading. 

If the plaited flounce is of chiffon, a dust ruf- 
fle of the silk is generally used under it. The 
lower edge of this ruffle is simply pinked, and 

the upper edge is finished with a very narrow hem. The 
ruffle is stitched on with a narrow heading. (Fig. 278.) 

Another good method for giving the graceful flare or ful- 
ness at the lower edge of a foundation skirt is by adding 
several tiny ruffles or ruchings to the plaited flounce or ruffle. 
These are cut bias, if made of taffeta, and simply pinked at 
both edges and gathered or plaited through the middle. 
(Fig. 280.) 

A Simple Ruche of chiffon for the edge of a flounce is made 
by doubling a strip of the chiffon over on the center line with 
the upper raw edge turned under and the gathering thread 
run in along this line. (Fig. 279.) After joining as many 
strips of the chiffon to make the required length, cut the 
selvages off, as the stiffness will prevent the chiffon from 
falling into a soft, graceful ruche. 

A Three-Tuck Ruche is used when more fulness is desired than is given by a simple 
ruche. This is made by cutting the chiffon strips about seven inches wide. After joining 
the strips as before, hold them in thirds, bringing the two raw edges together three-eighths 
of an inch from the folds. Run a gathering thread through all the layers of chiffon at one 
time. (Fig. 281.) 

A Puff Ruffle is sometimes used over a silk plaiting or ruffe. This is made of strips of 




Fig. 279. Simple Ruche for Edge of Chiffon 
Accordion Plaiting 




Fig. 280. Box-Plaited Ruche 



SKIRTS 



109 




Fig. 2 8 1 . Three-Tuck Ruche 
puff ruffle to the skirt above the silk flounce. 



chiffon double the width of the 
ruffle desired, plus the two inches 
required for the heading at the 
top. Fold the chiffon double, 
bringing the two raw edges to- 
gether on a line one inch below 
the edge that will be the upper 
edge of the ruffle. Turn under the 
upper raw edge and run in the 
gathering thread, using small 
stitches. Baste and then sew the 
(Pig. 282.) 



A Circular Flounce may be ussd as a finish at the bottom of the foundation skirt if 
desired. This may be cut from any good circular pattern. The lower edge is turned 
up in an inch hem, and the upper edge joined to the skirt in a French seam. The flounce 
may be trimmed with tiny ruchings or ruffles, as may be preferred. 



A Dual Ruffle is sometimes sewed on the in- 
side of an outside skirt when it is desired to give 
it a graceful flare at the lower edge without ma- 
king it necessary to wear additional under- 
skirts. The dust ruffle is also used on founda- 
tion skirts when one is desired. It is usually 
four inches wide, pinked at both edges, and 
sewed to the skirt by hand with invisible 
stitches. The ruffle is held down at intervals by 
French tacks. They are made by taking a 
small stitch in the skirt and one in the ruffle, 
leaving a half-inch or more of thread between. 
Pass the needle back and forth once more, put- 
ting it into the same place, and then work several loose buttonhole-stitches back over the 
three strands of the silk thread. (Fig. 283.) 

Foundation skirts vary in style and shape according to the prevailing fashions in out- 
side skirts. These instructions are intended, therefore, to be of general use in making 
either drop skirts, petticoats or foundation skirts for evening dresses, etc. 




Fig. 282. Puff Ruffle 





Fig. 283. Method of Making French Tack 



THE DRESS SKIRT is, of 
course, made and finished ac- 
cording to the material used and 
the style of pattern chosen. Di- 
rections for putting the skirt 
together will be found in the pat- 
tern instructions. If the figure 
to be fitted is out of proportion 
in any Darticular, read Chapter 
XIV,' ' : The Use of Butterick 
Patterns, " before cutting out 
the skirt. The first step is to 
lay out the pattern on the ma- 



terial, following, of course, the perforations indicating the right grain of the material, and 
being, careful to keep the nap or figure running the proper direction. (Read Chapter XIII, 
"Cutting Materials, Sponging, etc.") 

Before basting, lay the gores together, with the more bias edge on top (Fig. 2S4), and 
smooth the two gores out by running the hand lightly down and across with the weave 
of the fabric, being careful neither to pull nor stretch the bias edges. Beginning at the 
top, pin the edges together at intervals, and then baste along the sewing line with small 
even stitches until well over the hips, where the strain will come in fitting. Below this 
point the basting stitches may be longer. 



110 



THE DRL55MAKE.R 




Fig. 284. Basting a Bias Edge to a 
Straight One 



Try on the skirt, and make alterations wherever neces- 
sary. Be careful not to fit it too tightly over the hips, or 
it will tend to make the skirt lose its shape bj r drawing up 
and wrinkling when one is sitting. To set properly, the 
center line of the front of a skirt must stand exactly per- 
pendicular. Draw the skirt up well at the back, and mark 
the line for the belt with tailor's tacks, allowing three- 
eighths of an inch for the seam. 

Stitch the seams and press. The finish of the seams de- 
pends on the weight and texture of the material. (See 
Chapter XIX, "Tailored Seams.") 

The Inside Belt — For your inside belt use silk or cotton 

belting of the width recommended on the pattern envelope. 

You can get it at any notion counter. Cotton answers, 

but get it in a good quality or it will be too lirnp to hold 

the weight of the skirt. It is of the utmost importance 

to make the belt by the pattern, for if it does not fit cor- 
rectly it will slip on your figure, bringing the skirt in the 

wrong place, in which case it will not fit at the hips. 
Get the straight belting, and mark the darts by the belt 

pattern. Bring the V-shaped lines of dart perforations 

together, and baste the darts. Turn each end under one ' 

inch for a hem. Try the belt on with the fold edges of 

the hem just meeting. If the belt is too large or too small 

turn in or let out the hems. If it is too large at 
the top, do not make the darts deeper. Let the 
darts out a trifle, and take the extra length off 
the ends of the hems. When the belt fits snug- 
ly, but not tightly, stitch the darts and the fold 
edges of the hems. Turn under the raw edge of 
the hem and stitch the fold to the belt. Turn 
the darts flat against the belt and stitch them. 
Mark the center of the belt with cross-stitching, 
and sew the loops to the sides, to hang the skirt 
up by. Fasten your belt with good-sized hooks 
and eyes, number 8 are the best. For a belt of 
average width, sew three hooks to the right end of 
belt, placing them about one-quarter of an inch 
in from the fold edge. . Sew them through the 
rings and over the bill. Sew three eyes to the 

left end of the belt, letting them extend far enough beyond the edge to fasten easily. 

Sew them through the rings and at the edge of 

the belt. Some women use only two hooks, 

and their belts bulge at the center. 

The hooks should be one-eighth of an inch 

back from the edge, and the eye at the top I 

touching the seam of the facing and skirt. 

A Hem two or three inches deep is the usual I 
finish of the lower edge of skirts. The e.».tral 
length required for the hem must be allowed, j 
for when cutting. The patterns usually allow 
only three-eighths inch for seaming. If the 
material is of soft texture, the hem is simply 

turned under, its edge turned in and sewed down by hand in blind stitches, or finished 
with a row or two of machine-stitching. The lower edge of the skirt measures more than 
the line of sewing, so it must be fulled or laid in tiny plaits here and there, to make the 
hem lie flat. (Fig. 286.) If the skirt is of heavy material the upper edge of the hem or 
facing may be bound with a bias strip of lining material instead of turning in the edge of 
the cloth. The stitching should be made through the binding. (Fig. 285.) 




Fig. 285. Bound and Hemmed by Hand 




Fig. 286. Hem Gathered at Top 



SKI RTS 



11! 




Fig, 287. Facing Hemmed to Bottom of Skirt 



/I False Hem or Faring is sometimes pre- 
ferred for the finish of the lower edge, espe- 
cially if there is a wide sweep at the bottom. 
The facing is cut in bias strips, or shaped to fit 
the lower edge of the skirt. The strips are 
pieced together and the seams pressed open. 
Then baste and stitch the facing with a narrow 
seam, to the lower edge of the skirt on the right 
side. Turn over to the wrong side and baste 
down flatly along the edge. Then baste again 
along the upper edge of the facing, turning in 
a narrow seam. (Fig. 2S7. 1 

Velveteen or Skirt Braid may be added 
to protect the lower edge of the skirt, if de- 
sired. The velveteen strip is first stitched by 
hand, on the inner side of the skirt very near 
the edge, then turned up, leaving a narrow 
fold extending below the edge, and again 

sewed to the inner hem or facing, as shown in Fig. 28S. The skirt braid should be shrunken 
— wet thoroughly and pressed dry — before it is used. It is sewed flat to the under side 
of the skirt, its lower edge one-eighth of an inch below the bottom of the skirt. Sew it 
with a running stitch, just above the lower edge of the skirt. The upper edge of the 
braid is hemmed down. In other words it is 
sewed with two rows of stitching — running 
stitches near its lower edge and hemming 
stitching at its upper edge. 

An Interlining may be used in the hem or 
facing if it is desirable to add weight at the 
lower edge of the skirt. The material used for 
the purpose may be strips of lining, or, ac- 
cording to the texture of the skirt material, 
any substantial material such as heavy flan- 
nel or broadcloth. These materials are used 
where body is required in the garment. Since 
it is simply a question of giving weight to the 
skirt edge, especially in the case of soft silks, 
etc., the interlining for the hem may be made 
of light-weight cotton flannel. 

The interlining is cut in strips as wide as 
the hem or facing, omitting the seam edges 




Fig. 288. Velveteen Finish on Bottom of Skirt 




Fig. 289. Braid Finish 



at both sides. Baste it to the skirt along 
its lower edge, if the skirt is to have a fa- 
cing. For a hem that is to have an inter- 
lining, mark the skirt all around a distance 
above the lower edge to equal the width of 
the hem. Then the strip for the interlining 
is basted along this line. The hem is then 
turned up, and with the narrow seam 
turned in at the top, one row of stitching 
catches through both the hem edge and the 
upper edge of the interlining. 

When it is not desirable to finish a hem 
with machine stitching, and it must be done 
by hand, do it with blind or slip stitches. 
When this is the case, the interlining must 
first be securely stitched on the inner side 
of the facing, or the turned-up portion 
of the hem, with the seam edge turned 
over the upper edge of the interlining. 



112 



THE DRESSMAKER 



TUCKS are sometimes made above the hem for trimming or adding weight to the 
lower edge. If tucks above the hem are desired they should be basted in before the lower 
edge is finished. If the pattern does not allow for the tucks, the additional length must 
be calculated in the cutting. They may be of any width and of any number desired. If 
the lower edge of the skirt is straight the tucking is simple. The greatest difficulty is 
when the lower edge is very circular in outline, for then the tucks must be marked and 
basted before the stitching is done. Usually the skirt is fitted and finished at the waist- 
line first. 

Nun Tucks are wide tucks, usually two inches or more in depth. The method for 
making all tucks is the same, more or less, but the wider the tuck the greater the diffi- 
culty in keeping the lines and the dis- 
tances between the tucks even when the 
bottom of the skirt is circular at its 
lower edge. 

The number and width of the tucks 
must be decided before the skirt is cut, 
and the additional length allowed in 
each gore. For instance, when two 
tucks two inches wide are desired, you 
must add eight extra inches in the 
length, and two inches more if a hem 
is to be used also. 

After the gores of the skirt have been 
joined, and the belt finished, the length 
of the skirt is made perfectly even at 
its lower edge. The easiest way to get 
an even line is to try the skirt on the 
figure, standing on a footstool or some 
elevation that will permit, the entire 
skirt length, including the allowance for 
the tucks, to hang straight. 

The hem is then pinned up and basted. 
From the sewing line of the hem meas- 
ure the distance desired between the tucks (the hem is counted as a tuck in this in- 
stance), and from this point measure again to a line two inches above, for a two-inch tuck. 
Baste a fold evenly all around the skirt at this point, being careful not to twist at 
the fold edge nor deviate from 
the exact line. Mark with a 
basting thread a line two 
inches above and also one two 
inches below this fold edge all 
around the skirt. Then hav- 
ing the skirt on the lap board 
or sewing-table, with its lower 
edge toward you, baste in the 
tuck by bringing these two 
lines together. It will be seen 
that the lower line is a trifle 
wider than the upper one, 
and this is just wherein the 
difficulty of making tucks lies. 
(Fig. 290.) As you proceed, 
the lower basting thread must be drawn up a trifle here and there, to keep the tuck 
perfectly flat on its upper surface. The final stitching can then be put in, either by 
hand or machine sewing. (Fig. 291.) For the second tuck proceed in the same way. 

PLAITED SKIRTS are more or less worn at all times, though some years they are more 
popular than others. Different arrangements of plaits are worn each season, but there 
are certain general instructions that apply equally well to the different styles of plaited 
skirts. 




Fig. 290. Preparing "Nun" Tucks 




Fig. 291. Finished "Nun" Tucks 



SKIRTS 



113 



The first step, of course, is to read the pattern instructions carefully, and to get a 
clear idea of the particular style of the skirt that is being made. 

In cases where the skirts are composed of seven, nine or more gores it is not so difficult 
to handle them successfully, since alterations may be made at the seams. But in skirls 
where few gores are employed, particular attention must be paid to the correct position 
of the lines, in order to keep the plaits perfectly even. Furthermore, the skirt must be 
joined to the belt and the material between the plaits properly disposed, so that the plaits 
themselves will have a uniform appearance. 

Before cutting the material read the pattern instructions, examine the pattern and iden- 
tify the pieces, observing the notch- 
es and perforations according to 
the directions. No fixed rule can 
be given for laying out material for 
cutting. It is frequently necessary 
to open out double-width material, 
cutting each part separately. Be 
careful in this case to observe the 
right and left side of the garment. 
In cutting a skirt, make a length- 
wise fold in the material for the 
center of the front gore. Never 
start cutting with the widest part 
of your pattern toward the solid 
part of your material. Lay out 
your pattern carefully and place it 
on the material economically before 
starting to cut. If the material is 
narrow, it will be necessary to piece 
the lower part of this gore at each 
side; but this need not be done until 
after the rest of the skirt is cut. as 
some of the pieces cut from the side 
gores will probably be large enough 
for this purpose. 

Single-width material should be laid out straight for all breadths except the front. It 
may be folded across at half its length, or cut in two and reversed (if it has a nap) and 

cut double. After all the breadths are cut, and 
before removing the pattern, mark all perfora- 
tions except the ones that indicate the cutting or 
grain line, with tailors' tacks. (See Chapter IV, 
Pig. 71.) In a plaited skirt remove the pattern 
and place a yard-stick on the cloth with its edge 
even with the tailors' tacks, and draw a con- 
tinuous line with chalk. Mark this line with 
tailors' tacks. (Pig. 292.) 

The long threads should be cut, the pieces 
separated, and the breadths joined at the seams. 
In sewing a bias edge be careful not to stretch it. 
Basting the seams is shown in Fig. 284 on page 110. 
For a Box-Plaited Skirt, after all the seams are 
joined (except the back seam, which is not basted 
until the plaits are all laid), begin at the front 
breadth and bring the two lines of markings at 
each side of the center front together and baste. 
This forms a large tuck. (Fig. 293.) The next two 
rows of markings are then basted together to form 
a second tuck. Continue in this way around 
each side of the skirt. Bach seam corresponds 
Fig. 293. Basting the Plaits in Tucks to a row of markings, and is to be basted to the line 




Fig. 292. A Gore Marked tor the Plaits 




114 



THE DRESSMAKER 



formed at the perforations on the breadth 
toward the front. After the plaits are basted 
into tucks, each one is flattened to form a box 
plait, bringing the seam in the center on the 
wrong side. The method of forming the plaits 
is shown in Fig. 293. 

Be careful to get the box plaits even, without 
any draw, especially where the edges come bias. 
As each one is flattened, it should be basted a 
quarter of an inch from the fold edge, as shown 
in Fig. 294, to keep it in shape. This will be 
found a great convenience later. 

The skirt is now ready to try on. Draw it up 
to reach the waistline all around, and pin it to 
the petticoat at the hipline. Then, from the 
hip up, arrange each box plait in a good line. 
The basted seam at the center of each box plait 
can be ripped as far as the hipline and the 
waist adjusted to the correct size. The bastings 
at the edges of the box plaits will hold the 
plaits in place so that their size can not be inter- 
fered with. They may be brought closer to- 
gether to make the waist smaller or spread 
farther apart to make it larger. 




Fig. 294. The Box Plaits Basted in Place. 



The edges of the box plaits should be pinned in correct position at the fitting, and when 
the skirt is taken off, they should be basted as pinned. The skirt can then be turned to the 
wrong side and the ripped seams rebasted. When this has been done, mark on the skirt 
the edge of each plait that has been altered. Then remove the bastings that hold them 
to the skirt, so that the under seam may be stitched. 

The plaits should be basted to the skirt again 
at the line of markings made after the fitting. 
The bastings should run down as far as they are 
to be stitched. It would be advisable to rip 
the basting of the back seam, as the skirt can 
be more easily handled under the machine if it 
is opened out flat. Stitch the plaits down 
through both plait and skirt to the desired 
depth. In cases where the plaits are not stitch- 
ed the entire length of the skirt, the thread-ends 
on the under side must be securely tied, as 
shown in Fig. 295. Then baste and stitch the 
back seam, put on the belt, press the plaits in 
place to the bottom of the skirt, and try it on 
again to secure the correct length. Finish the 
hem, placket and belt in the usual way. 

When a box-plaited skirt is put on the belt 
correctly, it will be noted that the space between the plaits over the hips is wider than 
at the belt because the waist is smaller than the hips. Where seams are provided under 
the plaits, the superfluous material may be taken out. Where there is no seam, however, 
the fulness which occurs must be disposed of under the plaits. If this fulness is not too 
great, the material may be held a trifle easy, or, one might say, puckered or pushed toward 
the line of stitching. To present a thoroughly well-made appearance, this fulness must 
be hidden; and on that account the plaits are very convenient. 

Notwithstanding the fact that it is possible to dispose of all the surplus material under 
one plait, it should not be done, since it would throw the other plaits out of position. 
There must be an equal space between the plaits. Where the figure is out of proportion 
in any way, either very large around the hips or small at the waist, the quantity of surplus 
material is increased. While a small amount may be managed as directed, and after 




Fig. 295. Tying Threads 



SKIRTS 



115 




Fig. 296. Arrangement of Dart 
under Plait 



careful pressing be unnotieeable, a larger quantity 
would be too bulky, and had best be treated differently, 
When the plaits are laid the full length of the skirt, 
and the skirt is being fitted, side plaits or darts should 
be used to adjust the extra material to a small waist- 
Fig. 296 shows the method of placing the darts. If a 
dart is used it is sewed in a position that will come well 
under the plait so that there will be no likelihood of its 
being seen. Even if folded over, the upper edges of the 
box plait should not be disturbed, for this would disar- 
range the size and width on the outside. The material 
near the stitching is folded over one-eighth or one- 
quarter of an inch to form a dart-like tuck, and these 
new lines are joined or folded in such a way that they 
taper gradually into the line of the original plait just 
above the full part of the hips, as seen in the illustration. 
It should then be pressed flat, and the extra fold will 

not be objectionable. Treat the extra fulness in this manner where it is necessary, and 
keep the spaces an equal width. 

A Skirt Made with Side Plaits or Kilts is shown in Fig. 297. The manner of prepar- 
ing the skirt and marking the perforations that indicate the plaits is the same as that 
already described. At each line of markings that represents the fold of a plait, the plait 
should be folded with the markings as an edge, and the doubled goods should be basted 
one-quarter of an inch back of the edge. This will hold all the plaits in the correct line, 

no matter what alteration may be neces- 
sary in fitting. Many plaited models have 
one row of stitching placed just back of 
the fold edge, and through the two thick- 
nesses only, in the same way as the basting 
just described. This row of stitching an- 
swers a double purpose. It is ornamental 
and at the same time holds the edge of the 
plait in shape, and is especially desirable 
for wash goods or a thin woolen mate- 
rial that is likely to twist on a bias edge. 
The second row of stitching is placed a 
little distance back of the first and is 
taken through both plait and skirt. 
Stitch it to the desired depth and leave 
the ends of the thread two or three inches 
long at the end of the stitching, so that 
they may be drawn through to the wrong 
side and tied securely. (See Fig. 295 on 
page 114). 

When a plaited skirt is made of heavy 
material or is lapped very much at the waist in fitting, it may be made less bulky by cut- 
ting away the surplus material after the plaits are stitched. The under-lapping goods 
is cut away to within an inch or so of where the stitching finishes. From that point it 
is cut across the top of the plait. The raw edges left in this way are bound with a bias 
strip of lining, that will finish across the top of each plait except where the seams that join 
the breadths form the inner fold of a plait, when the binding will continue down the raw 
edges of that seam to the bottom of the skirt. (Fig. 298 on the next page.) 

As each figure has some trifling peculiarity, careful study should be given the instruc- 
tions on the pattern and judgment used as to the best means of alteration or adjust- 
ment. It must always be remembered, however, that the tucks or plaits must be evenly 
arranged and that the space between them must be the same, as this is quite an im- 
portant point in making a plaited skirt. 

When a plaited skirt is made of washable material, the laundering is not difficult if 
one goes about it in the right way. The lower part of the skirt should not be pressed 




Fig. 297. Side Plaits with Two Rows ol Stitching 



THE DRESSMAKER 



116 

out flat, but each plait as it is 
pressed at the stitched upper 
portion should be laid in posi- 
tion all the way to the bottom 
of the skirt, smoothed and 
arranged with the hand and 
pressed into position. After- 
ward the iron may be run un- 
der the plait to smooth the 
part underneath. This is the 
same method that is employed 
in pressing a similar skirt made 
of cloth. In laund 3ring orpress- 
ing a skirt the va:ue of shrink- F,g - 29a lnside Fi, ? ish of a Killed 5kirt 

ing the material before cutting and of observing the "grain" of the weave is realized. 

_ Gored skirts that have a side plait or an in-verted box plait let into the seams some 
distance up from the bottom, are sometimes troublesome because of a tendency of these 

plaits to show below the bot- 
tom edge of the skirt since 
there is nothing to which they 
may be attached. This trouble 
may be avoided in the man- 
ner shown in Fig. 299. 

The seam edge and the edge 
of each of these plaits are 
bound, and after the skirt is 





Fig. 299. Supporting Inlaid Plaids 

finished a tape or strap of lining is sewed to the top of each 
plait and is carried from one to the other all around the 
skirt. The tape will generally be found sufficient stay, but 
in a woolen skirt of heavy cloth an additional tape or strap 
may run diagonally from the top of each plait to the next 
seam and be securely sewed there to the wrong side of the 
skirt. This stay also is shown in the illustration. 

Flare Skirts are many-gored skirts that do not hang in 
plaits below the hips, and are made to stand out from the 
feet at the lower edge. These need special treatment in 
finishing, to preserve the flare and make them hang in 
just the right way. The proper finish of the seams on the 
inside can be seen in Fig. 300. After the seams have been 
basted and stitched, it is advisable to try on the skirt and 
pin a tape around the figure to determine the hip depth to 
which the flat seam shall extend. At the same time the 
length of the skirt should be determined by pinning it up 
around the bottom or by marking it with chalk. Mark the 
line for the bottom of the skirt with a basting thread and 
also mark the skirt with a thread along the edge of the 
tape. At the hipline clip both raw edges of each seam at 
the inside of the skirt in order to divide the flat-finished 
hip part from the rippled part. Make this clip or cut ex- 
tend the full width of the seam edges, running in as far as 




Fig. 300. Inside Finish of a Many- 
Gored Flare Skirt 



SKIRTS 



117 



the stitching of the seam. The seam above the 
clip is to be pressed open, clipping or notching it 
wherever necessary to make it lie flat. It may be 
finished with a row of machine-stitching at each 
side of the seam and quite close to it, or both 
edges of the seam may be turned the same way, a 
row of stitching on the outside holding them in 
lap-seam effect. 

Mark the hem or facing depth at the bottom 
of the skirt — it is usually about three inches deep. 
Clip the seam in at this point; press this lower 
part of the seam open in order to hem or face the 
skirt properly. The part of the seam which has 
not been pressed open should be bound as shown 
in Pig. 301, using a narrow bias strip of lining 
material for the purpose. This portion of the 
seam is not to be pressed to either one side or 
the other, but stands out straight from the in- 
side of the skirt, and gives a fluted effect to the breadths. Baste a bias facing in place, 
hem the lower edge to the turned-over edge of the skirt. The upper edge may be hemmed 
by hand or may have one or two rows of maehine-stitching to correspond with the stitch- 
ing on the upper part of the seams. The skirt should then be folded at each seam and 
placed in the machine in the same way as when the breadths were first stitched together, 
and a row of stitching, as shown in Fig. 301, made along the bound part of the seam 
close to the first row and extending across the facing forming that into a small seam. 




Fig. 301 



Seam Stitched Across Facing to 
Hold Flare Effect 



HANGING A CIRCULAR SKIRT. A circular skirt is cut on the bias and a bias will 
always stretch more or less. One should let, in fact encourage, the skirt to stretch as much 
as possible, before the bottom is finished so that it will stretch very little, if at all, after 
it is hung. 

A skirt stretches because its own weight and the weight of the hem or facing drags down 
the bias grain. If you hang the skirt up for two or three days properly weighted you will 
exhaust its powers of stretching. In your piece bag you will find plenty of useless material 
that can be used to weigh the skirt. Cut strips three or four inches wide and enough of 
them to make four or five thicknesses. Pin them to the lower part of your skirt. (Fig. 301 A.) 

Pin the two halves of your skirt together at the top and 
pin loops of material to the skirt to hang it up by. (Fig. 
301 A.) Slip the loops over hooks placed just far enough 
apart to hold the skirt band out even. Let the skirt 
hang for two or three days with the weight of the strips 
stretching it as much as it will. Then you can turn up 
the bottom without fear of its sagging. 

TO HANG A SKIRT. Cut a strip of cardboard two 
inches wide and eight or ten inches long. Make a notch in 
one long edge at the distance you want the skirt to clear 
the floor. Put your skirt on and stand on a table. (Fig. 
301 B.) Have some one mark the skirt with a marker and 
pins or else with a needle and a long thread. (Fig. 301 B.) 
Take the skirt off, turn it up at the marked line and baste 
it. Try it on again to be sure that the lower edge is per- 
fectly even before hemming or facing it. 

There is a homely but successful way to hang a skirt 
if you have no one to help you. Get a dish-pan and place 
it on a large, even pile of old magazines, arranging them so 
that the upper edge of the pan is the same distance from 
the floor that you want the lower edge of your skirt to 
be. Fasten a piece of soft chalk to a long stick. Stand in 
the dishpan with your skirt over the pan. With the stick 




Fig. 301 A. 
Skirt to 



Hanging j 
Prevent . 



118 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 301 B. Getting an Even Line at the 
Bottom of the Skirt 



and chalk tap your skirt against the rim of the pan. You can easily mark an even line 
in this way. Take the skirt off, turn it up at the chalk marks and baste it. Try it on 
again to be sure that it is even at the bottom. This is an easy method for the woman 
who has no one to help her with her dressmaking. 



CHAPTER XXII 

COATS AND JACKETS 



FITTED COAT5, outlining the figure, require more care and attention in the 
making than fancy coats, though the latter, when finished, may look much more 
elaborate. The first important step is to have the cloth thoroughly shrunken, 
according to Chapter XIII, "'Cutting Materials, Sponging, Etc." 

Measure the length of the back from the collar seam to the waistline, and the length 
of the arm from the armhole to the wrist, and alter the pattern, if necessary, according 
to the directions given with it. When the cloth is ready, lay the pattern on it to the 
best advantage. Be careful, if there is a nap, to place the pieces so they will all run the 
same way of the goods. Otherwise, the pieces with the nap running in the opposite 
direction will shade; that is, some will look darker than others. In cloth the nap should 
always run toward the bottom of the garment. In velvet, but not in panne velvet, it 
should run upward. In panne velvet it should run downward. 
Be sure to follow carefully the directions accompanying the pat- 
tern, in regard to the grain of the goods; otherwise the garment 
will draw and stretch. (See Chapter XIII.) 

When using full-width cloth — that is, fifty-two or fifty-four 
inches wide — many coats may be cut economically with the 
cloth folded lengthwise through the center, as it is folded when 
bought. For a long coat, however, it is sometimes necessary 
to open the cloth to its full width. Lay it out smoothly, with the 
wrong side up, and arrange the pattern upon it. 

Pin the pattern carefully to the material and cut it out with 
sharp scissors, following the outline most exactly. After you 
have cut the first half, lay it face down on your material, with 
the pattern still pinned to it, and cut the second half. Be sure 
that the nap runs the same way in both halves and that you do 
not cut two halves for the same side — a common mistake of 
the amateur. Clip all the notches, and mark all the perfo- 
rations, except the ones that indicate the grain line, with 
tailors' tacks. (See Chapter IV, "Practical and Ornamental ' 
Stitches.") 

THE FRONT of a cloth coat must be interlined with a soft, Fis - 302 - £fpg? e and Tape 
pliable canvas, cotton serge, or cambric, which should be shrunk- 
en before it is used. For a coat that is cut with a seam to the shoulder, the canvas is 
cut by the pattern of the front and side front. The canvas in the side front may 
stop three inches below the armhole on the under-arm seam and slope to 
the waistline on the side seam as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 302, or it may be used 
throughout the entire front. In a linen coat use butchers' linen instead of the canvas. 
In a silk coat use a lining material about the weight of a cotton serge, sateen or cambric, in 
the fronts, and a light-weight lining canvas or soft crinoline for the collar, sleeve caps and 
wrist. These interlinings should be shrunken before they are used. 

Baste the canvas to the wrong side of the coat. (Fig. 302.) Then baste the seams of 
the coat and canvas together according to the notches, lapping the canvas edges flatly 
over each other and catch-stitching them together after the cloth seams are pressed. 
Try the coat on and make alterations if any are necessary before stitching the seams. 

To give the coat more body over the bust, an extra piece of thin canvas not quite as 
heavy as used in the fronts should be applied to each front as shown in Fig. 302. Do 
not make a seam in the canvas to make it fit the bust, but slash it and lap the edges to 
make it fit smoothly in the coat. This canvas should be attached to the other canvas 
in the fronts by padding stitches. Fig. 305 shows how these stitches are made. 

119 




120 



THE DRESSMAKER 



In a coat that is made with a dart instead of a seam to the shoulder in front, the can- 
vas must be cut with the pattern of the front as a guide. The canvas should be about 
six inches wide along the front edges of the coat. At the waistline it should slope out- 
ward and upward to the under-arm seam, where it should stop three inches below the 
armhole. 

Pur and fur-cloth coats are generally without seams in front. If the coat is made of 
fur cloth, the entire coat should be lined with cambric before the canvas is put in. (Fig. 

304.) This cambric reenforces and strengthens the rather 

loose weave of the fur-cloth. It is also used in fur coats if 

the pelts are tender and perishable. • 

If the coat is made with a dart, the darts in the coat and in 

the canvas should be closed separately. Take up the dart in 

the coat in the usual way, but lap the edges of the dart in the 

canvas and tack them together. (Fig. 304.) 
When the garment is an 

Eton or any other short 

jacket, the interlining in 

the front is cut to the 

waistline and to the ex- 
treme front edge, whether 

the jacket is single or 

double breasted. 

Baste a piece of canvas 

or other interlining the 

shape of the neck and 

shoulders of the back, and 

about two inches deep, 

across the neck at the 

back, and similar pieces 

around the armholes of 

the back and underarm, to 

meet the interlining of the 
fronts as shown in Fig. 303. This stays the coat and 
prevents the breaking around the armhole. The side 
seams, the vents at the back and the bottom of the 
coat are reenforced with cambric. (Fig. 303.) 
Stitch all the seams of the coat. If they are to be 
finished with stitching or lapped seams, press them 
before completing the finish. (Chapter XIX.) 



FOR THE STRICTLY TAIL- 
ORED COLLAR cut an inter- 
lining of tailor's canvas. Use 
the collar pattern as a guide, 
but cut the canvas three- 
eighths of an inch smaller at all 
edges than the pattern. The 
canvas should be shrunken be- 
fore it is used. The "stand" 
of the collar — the part next the neck that stands up when the 
coat is worn — is marked by perforations. It is a crescent- 
shaped section which should be covered with parallel rows of ma- 
chine stitching about 




Fig. 303. How Cambric and 
Canvas Are Used 





Fig. 304. Canvas and Cambric in the 
Front of Fur-Cloth Coat 



Fig. 305. Padding 
5titches in Collar 



a quarter of an inch 
apart. (Fig. 306.) 

The canvas and cloth 
in the turnover part 
of the collar, and in 
the lapel or revers on 




Fig. 306. Stitching on the Stand of the Collar 



COATS AND JACKETS 



121 




Fig. 307. Stretch the Collar Between 
Notches 



the front, must be held firmly by many small stitches called "padding stitches." These 
stitches are about half an inch long on the canvas side and just barely caught through 
on the right side. Hold the collar or lapel firmly over the hand, the canvas side 
uppermost, and, in stitching, roll and shape the section in the direction in which it is 
to lie. (Fig. 305.) The stitch should be started at the line of the fold of the lapel or 
collar and worked in successive rows to the edge. The edges should be turned under, 
caught to the canvas and pressed. 

Baste the collar, canvas side up, flat on the coat, according to the notches in the 
collar and in the neck. (Fig. 307.) Stretch the neck edge 
of the collar between the notches so that it will set 
smoothly on the coat. The upper or turnover part of 
the collar must lie flat, joining the turned-over lapels at 
the tup of the fronts, to form the notched collar. 

When the coat has advanced thus far, try it on. Fold 
over the lapel corners at the top of the fronts and see 
that the collar is the correct size and fits properly. 
If it does not, it may be shaped by shrinking, stretch- 
ing and pressing. The front edges of the coat should 
lie close to the figure at the bust, and a well-fitted 
coat should hold itself in shape to the figure at this 
point, even when unbuttoned. If the coat is inclined 
to flare away at the front line, pin one or two small 
dart-like tucks about one-quarter of an inch wide at 
the coat's edge and running out to nothing about two 
inches inside the edge, to shape in the edge and take 
out the stretched appearance. Mark these tucks with 
chalk, remove the pins and slash in the canvas at each 

chalk mark. Lap the canvas the same space that the tucks 
were made, cut away one edge to meet the other, lay a 
piece of cambric over the slash and sew the cambric to hold 
it to shape. The cloth will still have the fulness that has 
been taken out of the canvas, and must be gathered on a 
thread, dampened and shrunk out with the iron. 

Narrow linen tape, well shrunken, should be sewed to the 
canvas toward the inside of the coat at the crease of the lapel, 
drawing it taut to prevent stretching. (Fig . 302.) The 
edges of the lapel and the front coat edges should also be 
taped, drawing the tape snug at these edges to give them a 
good shape. Press the fronts earefully. 

An additional Interlining, if required for warmth, should 
be made of outing flannel or the regular silk-and-woo! inter- 
lining that comes for the purpose. Cut it with the pattern of 
the coat as a guide, letting it extend an inch or two below the 
waistline. (Figs. 309 and 310, on page 122.) Slash the inter- 
lining at intervals along the bottom so that it will not bind 
the coat. Do not put the interlining together with ordinary 
seams, but tack it inside the coat, letting one seam edge of 
the interlining overlap the one next to it. 

From the cloth, cut facings for the collar and fronts. The front facings must be cut to 
the shape of the front after the edges have been altered and taped. Lay the cloth on the 
fronts and over the lapel corners; pin it carefully in place, holding the front and lapel in 
to their proper shape; then cut it to the required width. It need extend only about 
three inches inside of the line that marks the center of the front. The collar facing, if 
of cloth, must be cut on the width or crosswise of the material and must not have 
a seam in the center of the back. 

Fit the collar facing to the canvas collar and join it to the front facings, matching 
the notches on the collar and the front facings. Press the seams open and baste to the 
canvas collar and to the front of the coat, turning in the edges of both coat and facing. 
This finish is for visible closing, when the buttonholes are to be worked through both 
the outside and the cloth facing. 




Finishing the Fly 



122 



THE DRESSMAKER 




Fig. 309. Pad the Low- 
er Shoulder 



Fig. 3 1 0. The Sheet Wad- 
ding and Interlining 



A SINGLE-BREASTED COAT PATTERN allows a lap which is ample for the button- 
holes on each front edge beyond the perforations that mark the center of the front. 
It may be finished with visible buttons and buttonholes or with a fly which conceals 
the fastenings. (Fig. 308.) 

For a Fly Facing, leave the facing of the right side of the front separate from 
the coat below the lapel, as it will form the fly for the invisible buttonholes. Turn the 

edge of the cloth under on this right side. 
From the crease of the turned-over lapel to the 
bottom of the coat stitch on the upper or fin- 
ished side of the coat one or more rows of 
stitching as a finish about a quarter of an inch 
from the edge. Then face this side with a piece 
of the silk lining. (Fig. 308, page 121.) 

The cloth facing for the right side must itself 
be faced upon the side toward the coat with 
a piece of the same lining (Fig. 308), and should 
be stitched a quarter inch in from the front 
edge Baste the cloth underfacing to the inside 
of the right-hand side of the coat, and at the 
center line stitch with one row of stitching 
through both coat and facing to hold them 
firmly together. Buttonholes are then worked 
in the facing at equal distances apart. The 
front edge of the facing should be tacked to the 
coat midway between the buttonholes. Now 
continue the row of stitching at the edge from the place where it began at the top of the 
right side around the turned-over lapels, around the collar and down the left side. 

COLLAR FACINGS of velvet are sometimes used, but instead of 
being applied directly over the canvas the edges of the velvet are 
turned under and catch-stitched to the cloth collar. If a velvet 
collar facing is used instead of one of the same cloth, it should be 
made of a seamless bias strip of velvet. Do not stitch the edges 
of the collar, but only the cloth turned-over lapels. One-eighth of 
a yard of velvet cut on the bias is usually enough for a collar facing. 
All pressing and shaping of the collar must be done before putting 
on the velvet facing. 

The shawl-collar facing is sometimes cut in one with the front 
facing. The collar proper is cut and joined as just described — 
stitched to the body of the coat and pressed. The two facing sec- 
tions are joined at the back, and the seam pressed open. The fa- 
cing is pinned in position with wrong sides together. The outer 
edge of the facing is turned in even with the fold edge of the coat. 
Baste the free edges of the facing in place, being careful to allow 
sufficient ease for the roll. The edges are basted and stitched. Turn 
up the bottom edge of the coat over a narrow strip of bias cambric, 
and catch the coat edge to it. (Fig. 302, page 119.) 

If Padding Is Needed, a few layers of sheet wadding decreasing toward the edges may 
be basted around the armhole from the front of the shoulder to the back, deepening 
under the arm, and made thick or thin as the figure may require. (Figs. 309 and 310.) 
If you wish to make the shoulders look more square, place a triangular piece of wadding 
on the shoulder with the point at about the middle of the shoulder seam and the wider 
part at the armhole, making the wadding thick enough to give the required squareness 
to the shoulders. If the shoulders are uneven, fit the upper one and pad the lower 
one with a triangular piece of wadding. (Fig. 309.) 

Baste the Seams of the Sleeves and try them on. If they need any alteration in size 
around the arm, make it at the seam marked by outlet perforations. A bias strip 
of canvas, or whatever is used in the fronts, three inches deep should be basted into the 
wrist just above the turning line of the hem part, and the cloth turned over and 
catch-stitched to it. (Fig. 311.) 




Fig. 311. Interlining 
and Cap 



COATS AND JACKETS 



123 




Fig. 312. Gathers 





Fig. 313. The Inter- 
lining 



If a vent or opening is provided at the outer seam of the sleeve, the extension on the 
upper part is turned under for a hem: and the lower part, neatly faced with the lining, 
forms an underlap. This opening may be closed by buttons used as a decoration or by 
buttons and buttonholes. Finish the edge with one 
or two rows of machine-stitching to match the stitch- 
ing on the edges of the coat. If stitching at cuff 
depth is desired, it must be made before closing the 
outside seam. 

Cut a piece of cambric in the same outline as the 
top of the sleeve and about three inches deep, and 
baste it in position to the inside of the sleeve. (Fig. 
311.) Gage the top of the sleeve with two rows of 
gatherings, as shown in Fig. 312. This is done by 
taking up a short stitch on the upper side and a 
longer stitch on the under side. All the stitches of 
the second row should be directly underneath those 
of the first row. Baste the sleeves into the arm- 
holes, try the coat on to see if the sleeve sets right, and then stitch it. 
In some sleeves the fulness at the top is taken out by small darts. 
These are marked with tailor's tacks, as directed on the pattern, stitch- 
ed, cut and pressed open. Often, if the fulness is slight, it can be 
shrunken out entirely. It is first gathered with one row of very fine 
gatherings and then placed over the small end of a tailor's padded 
cushion. (Illustrated on page 61.) A damp cloth is laid over the sleeves 
and they are pressed with a hot iron until dry. (Figs. 314 and 315.) 

Work the Buttonholes, the top one 
just at the lowest corner of the 
turned-over lapel, and sew- the but- 
tons at the left side to correspond, 
sewing through coat and canvas, but not through the 
facing. 

Flat lead weights about the size of a quarter are 
tacked in the bottom of the coat to weight it prop- 
erly. They should be covered with the lining satin 
so that they will not wear through 
the lining. 

THE. LINING is the final step of 
coat -making; the outside must be 
entirely finished, the pockets put 
in, and all the ornamental stitch- 
ing done before beginning on the 
lining. Silk or satin is unques- 
tionably the only satisfactory lin- 
ing for a coat. One of the sever- 
al silk substitutes may be used for 
lining a gown, but only the greatest necessity for economy excuses 
its use as coat-lining. White satin of a good firm quality is attrac- 
tive, but satin matching the shade of the cloth is more serviceable. 
Cut the lining from the same pattern as the cloth, allowing for 
any alterations which have been made in fitting. 

Cut the lining of the fronts to extend to the front facings only, 
and eat the back pieces each one-half an inch wider than the pat- 
tern to allow for a small plait in the center back. Leave good seams, 
as the lining must be quite easy in width as well as length. (Fig. ' 
316.) If it is tight it will draw the outside of the coat and make wrinkles. 

Baste a small plait at the center back to avoid any possibility of tightness. With the 
back piece of the lining basted in the coat, the two outer edges will be raw. Catch these 
raw edges flat with a loose basting-stitch to the inside seams of the coat over which they 
lie. Now take the next piece of the lining and baste it through the center to the corre- 



Fig. 314. Shrinking the Small Sleeve 




124 



THE DRESSMAKER 



sponding piece of the coat, then turn under the edge toward the back and baste it down 
like a hem over the raw edge of the back piece, notching the edges of both seams' at the 
waistline and immediately above and below it, so they will fit the curves of the coat. 

Repeat this method with each piece of the lining. Turn it up at the bottom, allow- 
ing a little of the cloth to show. 

After all the edges are turned under, and basted over the preceding pieces and over 
the raw edges of the facings in front, and over the edges of the collar at the neck, they 
are neatly felled down to the cloth. (Fig. 316.) Be careful not to catch through the 

cloth to the outside. The lining of the sleeves is cut like the 
outside, and the seams are stitched and pressed open. The 
lining is slipped inside the sleeve and hemmed down at the 
hand and on the small opening at the back of the wrist if 
there is an opening allowed in the sleeve pattern. It is then 
drawn up in place, and basted through the cloth of the sleeve 
about five inches from the top. Then draw up the sleeve lin- 
ing, turn in the raw edge, and baste it to the coat lining all 
around the armhole and fell it in place. If the sleeves are to 
be interlined, the interlining should be tacked to the sleeve lin- 
ing. It is used on the upper part of the sleeve only, and 
should stop three inches below the upper edge and three 
inches above the wrist edge. (Fig. 313, on page 123.) 

Occasionally one has to line a coat for which there is no 
pattern. If the coat has had one lining and it is only a mat- 
ter of replacing it by a fresh one, rip the old lining apart and 
press each portion open. Fold the new material with the two 
cut ends together, and, taking one-half of the old lining, lay it 
carefully on the material so that it will cut to the best advan- 
tage. Mark the seams, or, if the lining will crease, turn back 
the seams and crease the sewing line. The seams may all be 
stitched save the under-arm and shoulder seams. The extra 
half -inch plait is basted down the back, and the basting is not 
removed until the lining is hemmed in. Tack the seams of 
the lining to those of the coat, with long loose stitches. Fold under the seams of the back 
at the underarm and the shoulder, and hem them down with small stitches. 

If the coat has had no previous lining, place the garment wrong side out over the pad- 
ded bust form, and fit a piece of silk to the front. The material for the back is creased 
down the center back and basted in one-half inch to form the plait previously described. 
Pin the lining straight across the back the entire length of the form. Crease the silk 
along the line of the seam, and cut, allowing three-eighths-inch seams. 

Pin on the side portion, keeping the same grain of the material. Fold back the mate- 
rial along the line of the sewing, and cut it away, allowing seams. Turn under the seam, 
baste and hem it to the back portion. The next portion is cut out in the same manner, 
the seams creased and hemmed. Care must be taken to keep the grain of the lining the 
same as that of the garment, and also to baste the lining in very easy so that it will not 
draw the outer material and cause it to wrinkle. 

THE HALF-LINED COAT. Top coats, storm coats, motor coats, etc., should only 
be lined to about twenty-five or twenty-six inches from the neck. (Fig. 316A.) Youneed 
a lining in the upper part to cover the interlining and to make the coat slip on and off 
easily. There is no real need for a lining in the lower part, and it wears out so quickly, 
from rubbing against your skirt, that it is really better not to. use it. 

The Interlining. The interlining is used in all coats, not for the sake of addi- 
tional warmth, but in order to give the material sufficient body so that it will not break 
and look poor and flimsy when the coat is on the figure. The best interlinings are soft 
French canvas, cotton serge or cambric. The interlining should be cut according to the 
directions given in the "Illustrated Instructions." 

After the interlining is cut it is laid on the wrong side of the coat, with the edges and 
notches of the coat and interlining even. The interlining is then pinned and basted in place. 

The Seam, Edges. When a coat is lined to the waist only, the seam edges in the 
lower part of the coat must be finished neatly. Heavy materials like wool velvet and 




Fig. 316. 



Completed 



COATS AND JACKLT5 



125 




Fig. 3 1 6A The half-lined coat 



army cloth are really self-finished, 
for they are so closely woven that 
they will not fray and can be left 
raw quite satisfactorily. 

Tweed, cheviot, mixtures, etc., 
mil fray and must be bound. The 
seams should be bound with rib- 
bon seam-binding, the color of 
the coat. Seam-binding comes in 
amerent widths and you can get it 
wiae enough for even a heavy coat- 
ing. Put the seam-binding on by- 
hand with an easy running stitch, 
sewing it neatly and evenly. (Fig. 
252, chapter XIX.) The seam- 
binding should run up well above 
the line of the lower edge of the 
lining. 

The Lining. The coat lining 
should be cut with the coat pat- 
tern as a guide, following the direc- 
tions given in the Illustrated In- 
structions. The lining must be cut 
slightly wider than the pattern. A 
ining must be loose and very easy. 
If it draws at all, it will wear out 
almost at once. In a half-lined 
coat the lining comes only to about 
twenty-six inches from the neck. 
Put the lining in according to the 
directions given in the Illustrated 
Instructions in the pattern. 



AN UNLINED COAT. An unlined coat needs interlining. The interlining for the 
front of the coat should be cut and put in according to the pattern instructions. The 
interlining in the front of the coat should be covered with a facing of the coat material. 
The part of the interlining left exposed back of the facing should be covered neatly 
with a lining. 

In cloth or linen the raw edges of the interlining and facing of the side fronts should be 
bound together. In silk they may both be turned under three-eighths of an inch, facing 
each other, and stitched. In either case, these edges should be left loose from the coat; 
they should lie against it, but should not be caught or stitched to it. 

A yoke-shaped piece of lining material must be used in the back of the coat. It should 
be six inches deep at the center, and run straight across the shoulders. Turn under its 
lower edge three-eighths of an inch, and stitch it in a narrow hem. Then baste it to the 
back of the coat at the shoulders and neck, leaving its lower edge free. 

The shoulder edges of the back yoke should be turned under, and then basted and 
felled carefully over the shoulder edges of the front lining. 

In silk the coat should be finished with French seams. In a coat of cloth the seams 
may be pressed open and the edges bound separately with silk seam-binding or they may 
be bound together, turned to one side, and stitched down flat to the coat. If they are 
pressed open, they need not be stitched again unless you prefer to stitch them on both 
sides of the seam. In heavy wash materials the seams can be handled in the same way, 
using a cotton seam-binding instead of silk. Be sure the binding is shrunken. It should 
be the same color as the coat. Or, on a linen, cotton rep, etc., you can use the flat stitched 
seam. 

The lower edge of the coat should be turned under according to the instructions on l he 
pattern, weighted with lead weights at the seams, and its raw edge either hemmed 
or bound. 



126 THE DRESSMAKER 

A RUSSIAN BLOUSE JACKET is not difficult to make. Follow the same direc- 
tions for laying the pattern on the material and marking the perforations that are given 
on page 130. Pace the jacket opening, and insert the pocket as directed by the pattern 
instructions. Baste the body portions together, try on, and stitch. The seams should 
be pressed open and the edges bound. Or, if lapped seams are preferred, the seams 
should be cut wider and finished according to the method described in Chapter XIX, 
"Tailored Seams." Finish the front and lower edges of the jacket according to the pat- 
tern directions. 

The deep collar on the jacket should be lined with a piece of lining material of the 
same shade. The collar should be turned under a seam's width at its edge and finished 
with one or more rows of stitching or braid around it. The lining is also turned under 
a seam's width, and hemmed to the underside of the collar, covering the stitching. The 
neck portion of the collar is joined to the neck according to the notches, with the seam 
toward the outside of the jacket or blouse. The collar lining is then turned under at its 
neck edge and hemmed to the neck of the blouse, concealing the seam. 

Bind the seams of the sleeves in the same manner as the seams of the jacket, and face 
the wrist with a cuff, according to the directions of the pattern. Baste the sleeves in 
the armhole, try the coat on, and if the sleeves set properly stitch them in by machine 
and bind the raw edges. 

The coat is fastened with buttons and buttonholes either in a visible or blind closing. 
If a blind closing is desired, a double strip of lining is cut for the fly and stitched one- 
fourth inch from the outer edge, and again along the inner edge, through all thicknesses. 
It is tacked along the outer edge of the coat midway between the buttonholes. If a 
visible closing is used, the buttonholes should be carefully worked, using the eyelet but- 
tonhole. Directions for working eyelet buttonholes, as well as the correct manner of 
sewing on the buttons, will be found in Chapter II, "Buttonholes." 

A belt either of the material or of leather is slipped through straps of the coat material 
which are fastened at each under-arm seam. When a cloth belt is used it should be 
stitched at its edges to correspond with the stitching on the jacket. 

There are many variations of the Russian blouse jacket, but the methods of finishing 
them vary so little from this model that the worker will have no trouble with them what- 
soever. 

FOR A NORFOLK JACKET, cut the material carefully as directed and mark the 
perforations for seams, box plaits, pocket opening, etc. 

Bring the thread lines marking the box plaits together, baste and stitch. This makes 
a large tuck, which is flattened to form a box plait by bringing the seam exactly under 
the center. As each one is flattened it should be basted one-quarter of an inch from 
each fold edge. Press well. The box plaits at the front must match those of the back 
on the shoulders. 

If the box plait is applied, cut the plait by the pattern. It is better to stitch the 
plaits separately and slip-stitch them to the jacket. Interline the belt with canvas, 
and hem a lining to the turned-over cloth. When the jacket is made with a seam run- 
ning to the shoulder in both the front and back portions, the simulated box plait is applied 
afterward over these seams, covering them. 

Insert a pocket in each side of the jacket in the manner described on page 106, Fig. 
273, in the chapter "Pockets." Face the fronts with canvas from the shoulders as 
shown on page 132. Join the back of the jacket to the side and front pieces, and press the 
seams open. In the upper corner of the front that is to turn over as a continuation of 
the collar, the canvas and cloth should be held together with the "padding stitch." In 
Fig. 323 is shown an inside view of the front with the canvas and pocket in place. 

The collar is cut from the cloth, and a canvas interlining for it is cut a seam's width 
smaller at all edges than the collar itself. The space from the perforations that mark 
the turning line of the collar to the neck edge should be stitched with several rows of 
machine stitching. The remainder of the collar is to be filled with padding stitches, as 
shown in Fig. 305. The cloth edges of the collar are turned over the canvas and catch- 
stitched to it. The collar is then hemmed by hand to the outside of the jacket, the end 
of the collar and the turned-over corner at the top of the jacket fronts forming a notch 
collar. The canvas should be trimmed away a seam's width from this corner and down 



COATS AND JACKLT5 127 

the front of the jacket. Cut a facing for the collar and a front facing like the front, 
extending back an inch beyond the turned-over corner at the top. 

Lay the front facing face down on the outside of the jacket fronts and stitch a seam 
around the corner and down the front of the jacket; turn it over and baste near the 
edge. Baste the collar-facing to the collar, turn under the edges and slip-stitch to the 
collar and to the front facing where it joins it at the top. Stitch one or two rows around 
the edge of the collar and down the fronts. Turn up the bottom of the jacket according 
to the pattern directions. 

Cut the back lining like the cloth back, but allow a half-inch plait down the center 
of the lining. Cut the lining of the front and side pieces in one, laying a dart-like plait 
from the shoulders, running out to nothing about five inches down. Full directions for 
lining a coat will be found on pages 123 and 124. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

BOYS' SUITS 



THE MAKING of a boy's suit is not at all a difficult matter if one goes about it in the 
right way. There are a few tedious details of finish, the proper carrying 
out of which determines the success of the suit. A hot iron is a necessary requis- 
ite to good work, and its frequent use will help much toward the progress of the 
suit. Follow the pattern directions closely and there will be no trouble. 

Before Cutting have the cloth shrunk and pressed. Then lay the entire pattern out 
on the material to the best advantage, as explained in the pattern instructions. With 
tailors' chalk trace the seams along the perforations that indicate the sewing line of 
the outlet seams. With tailors' tacks, one long and two short stitches (see Chapter 
IV), mark these seams through the two thicknesses of the cloth. Cut the stitches and 
separate the pieces. 

The various sections of the suit should have the pockets in place before they are 
joined. Mark the positions of the pockets as indicated by the perforations. 

THE TROUSERS will be our first consideration. As the initial step, baste and stitch the 
darts in the back portions of the trousers, and press them open. In the right-back portion 
make a pocket, instructions for which will be found on page 104, Chapter XX, "Pockets." 

The Fly is next put into the 
front portion. Baste a facing, cut 
from the fly-piece pattern, to the 
outside of the front edge of the 
left-front portion, with the notches 
even. Stitch a narrow seam from 
the top to the notch. Turn the 
facing to the wrong side, and 
baste it flat, with the cloth at the 
seam edge entirely covering the 
lining. 

Now lay together, face to face, 
two fly pieces, one of cloth and one 
of lining, and stitch a seam on the 
notched edge from the top to the 
notch. Turn it to the right side, 
baste flat and press. 

It is more convenient to make 
the buttonholes in the fly now, 
than after it is stitched in place. 
They are worked from the cloth side, the first one coming just below the waistband. 
Then baste the fly into position, its edge a trifle back of the edge on the left front of 
the trousers. Stitch one-quarter inch back of the buttonholes, through the four thick- 
nesses of goods, down from the waistband, ending in a curved line on the lower edge. 
(Fig. 318.) Tack the fly between the buttonholes to the facing. Overcast the raw edges 
on the inside. 

The underlapping fly piece for the buttons on the right front of the trousers should 
be faced with lining ; the seam sewed at the unnotch ed edge. The notched edge of the cloth 
piece is then basted and stitched to the edge of the right front of the trousers. This seam 
is then pressed open. Turn under the lining, clipping the edge to make it lie flat, and 
baste it to the cloth seam. From the right side stitch neatly an even line down close 
to the bastings and across the free edge at the bottom. 

12R 




Fig. 3 1 7. Inside View of Trousers Having no Fly 



BOYS' SUITS 



129 




Small trousers buttons are sewed on in position corresponding to the buttonholes on 
the opposite fly. 

For the Smaller Boys, when buttons and buttonholes are impracticable, the small 
facing provided for in the pattern is attached to the right side of both of the fronts, 
turned in and stitched down. (Fig. 317, page 128.) The front seam is then closed from 
the notch above to the waistline. 

The Side Pockets should be put in 
next. Complete instructions for ma- 
king them will be found on page 100, 
Chapter XX, "Pockets." 

Trousers Having no Fly Closing have 
the waistband divided into a front and 
back waistband, leaving an opening at 
each side of the trousers. In this 
case the extension on the side of 
the back pieces of the trousers is 
faced, thus forming the under- 
lap for the opening. The loose 
edge of the pocket piece is then 
faced on both sides with the 
cloth, and two rows of stitching, 
a quarter of an inch apart close 
to the edge, give it a firm finish. 
Now the upper edges of the 
pocket are basted to the upper 
edge of the trouser's front. (Fig. fig. 318. Inside View of Pocket with Buttonhole Fly 

317, page 128.) 

Make a bar, overcast or buttonholed, between the two rows of stitching, catching through 
the cloth, and both sides of the pocket at the top and at the bottom of the opening. 
The pocket may now be closed. Round off one or both of the corners, and, turning in 

the seam with the raw edges toward 
the inside of the pocket, stitch securely. 
The Outside Seam of the trousers is 
closed next. In knickerbockers, it is 
stitched in a seam all the way down. 
The lower edge of the leg is gathered in a 
casing with an elastic. In trousers fin- 
ished with a band the extension allowed 
at the lower part for an opening at the 
side is turned under fora facing 
on the upper side, and faced and 
used as an extension on the 
underside. The band can be 
fastened with a buckle or with 
a button and buttonhole. After 
stitching the seam, turn the 
raw edges toward the front. 
From the outside, run a line of 
stitching one-eighth of an inch 
from the seam. 

Now stitch and press open 
the inside seam of each leg. 
The two leg portions may then be joined, beginning the seam down the back at the 
waist, and extending it to the notches in the lower edge of the fly pieces, including in 
the seam the seams of the fly pieces below the notches. Press this seam open and 
baste over it, flat on the inside, a piece of tape or a bias strip. Stitch from the outside 
a row on each side of the seam. Turn the end of the tape over and hem neatly down 
at the end of the fly stitching. On the outside, at the end of the fly opening, make a 
strong stay-stitch or bar, to keep it from tearing out. 




Fig. 319. Outside View of Fly and Pocket 



130 



THE DRESSMAKER 



The Top Edge of the trousers is turned over a seam, and a strip of lining stitched to it, 
then basted down in a faced hem. A band, with the buttonholes worked in it with stout 
thread or twist, is basted over this faced hem, and from the right side stitched through 
both facing and band at the lower edge and the ends. A strong tack thread should 
catch the band and the facing between the buttonholes. 

The Lower Edge of each trousers leg is hemmed up by hand with invisible stitches. 

RUSSIAN BLOUSES for little boys' suits vary considerably in detail of style, but 
they are generally made without lining. They may or may not have a pocket; they may 
be perfectly plain or made with tucks or box plaits; with sailor collar or with a stand- 
up band, or to be worn with a linen collar. 
They may be trimmed with braid, chevrons and 
badges, with hand embroidery, or without 
either, as the case may require. 

In cutting observe and mark all perforations 
and notches for seams, box plaits, pocket open- 
ings, etc. See Chapter X. 

If a pocket is desired it should be put into 
the left-front piece before the seams are 
closed. Proceed as directed in the in- 
structions for the pocket on page 104, 
Chapter XX, "Pockets." 

Bind the raw edges of the front and 
back pieces at the seams with lining 
satin or seam-binding. Baste the pieces 
together and stitch. If preferred, a seam 
requiring no binding may be made by 
allowing a wider seam when cutting and 
arranging a lap seam, as explained in 
Chapter XIX, "Tailored Seams " Then 
press it flat and from the right side stitch 
an even row down on each side of the 
seam. 

The Front is closed by means of 
buttons and buttonholes whether in 
fly, the single lap, or double-breasted 
style. In case of a fly make a strip of 
lining, doubled, in which the buttonholes are 
worked. This strip is then basted to the 
overlapping front, one-fourth inch from the 
outer edge of the blouse, and stitched from the 
outside through all the thicknesses, on the line 
of the inner edge of the fly. Tack the fly be- 
tween the buttonholes. With a visible closing, 
the eyelet buttonholes are used. See Chapter 
II. The lower edge of the blouse is hemmed. 

The Sailor Collar should be turned under a 
seam's width around the outside edge, and all the trimming sewed on it before the col- 
lar is lined. Turn under the outside edges of the collar lining a seam's width and baste 
it to the wrong side of the collar with the edge of the lining about an eighth of an inch 
within the edge of the collar, keeping the corners straight and being careful not to 
stretch or pull the edge of the cloth. Baste the lining to the back and sides of the col- 
lar, then stitch, turn to the right side and press. Baste the cloth neck edge of the collar 
to the neck edge of the blouse, according to the notches, with the seam toward the 
under or outside of the blouse and stitch. Baste the lining neck edge over the seam. 
Hem it down by hand. Fig. 320. 

The Sleeves may have a cuff or not, according to the pattern. The seams are stitched 
and finished like the seams of the blouse. Baste the sleeves into the armhole and try 
the blouse on before stitching by machine. Bind the raw edges at the armhole with a 




Fig. 320. Basling the Lining to Collar 



BOYS' SUITS 



131 



bias strip of the lining or with seam-binding. For illustrations see Chapters X, 
"Children's Clothes," and XI, "Sailor or Naval Suits." 

A Belt, either of leather or of the blouse material, is worn with the Russian blouse suit. 
It is slipped through cloth straps which are fastened, according to the perforations, at 
each under-arm seam. When a belt of the material is used it should be stitched flat, 
to correspond to the stitching on the collar. 

A NORFOLK JACKET is somewhat more 

like a coat, in that it is lined and has a 

more strictly tailored finish. In cutting, ob- 
serve all the notches, perforations, etc., and 

mark the material accordingly. 

The chalk or thread marks indicating the 

box plait are then brought together, and a 

large tuck stitched. Spread it out, bringing 

the sewing directly under the center line of 

the plait. Baste along both edges and press 

flat. 

If preferred, the box plaits may be made 

separately, if the pattern does not allow for 

them. Turn under the side edges of the 

cloth three-quarters of an inch and baste. 

(See Fig. 322.) The plaits are then stitched 

to the jacket three-eighths of an inch from 

the edge. 

A Pocket with a Lap is made in each side 

of the front piece, behind the box plait. 

For making the pocket see instructions on 

page 104, Chapter XX, "Pockets. 

The Yoke, if one is used, is cut by the pat- 
tern and basted in position with its lower 
edge turned under. 
Stitch it flat with 
a row of stitching 
three-eighths of an 
inch from the edge. 
Cut the cloth away 
from under it, and 
press. 

Now face the 
fronts of the jacket with canvas from the shoulder, as shown 
in Fig. 323. The upper corners of the fronts, that are turned 
over to form the lapels, are made firm with padding stitches 
run through both cloth and canvas. 

A cloth facing, a little wider than the lapels, is basted to the 
right sides of the fronts. Stitch a seam across the lapel cor- 
ner and down the front edge. Trim away the canvas from the 
seam as close as possible, and turn the facing back. Baste 
the edge flat, and stitch it down neatly three-eighths of an 
inch from the edge. 

The shoulder and side seams joining the fronts and the back 
of the jacket may now be closed. Press these seams open. 
Turn up the lower edge of the jacket and baste it flat. 

The Collar is cut from two pieces of the cloth and one of 
canvas. The cloth piece for the top of the collar is a seam's 
width wider all around than the canvas. Baste the latter two 
pieces together, and trace the turning line of the collar. The 
< Plait, crescent-shaped space thus outlined is the part that stands up 
Ready to Apply to Jacket ' > n the finished collar. To give it stability and strengthen the 





Fig. 321. Front View of Jacket. Pieced 



132 



THE DRESSMAKER 



curve, run several rows of stitching across it, parallel to the tracing. The other part 
of the collar is covered with "padding stitches." (Fig. 324.) Now baste the top collar 
piece over this foundation; turn the edges under and baste. 

The collar is then basted to the jacket on the outside of the neck edge. Baste it on 
carefully, avoiding any possible stretching out of shape. At the points where the collar 

meets the lapels of the jacket, the canvas must 
^^i be cut away to make a neat joining. 

The Sleeves are cut, the seams stitched and 
pressed open. Turn the wrist edge up as far as 
the pattern allows, and baste it flat. Then run 
a line of stitching around it, as directed in the 
pattern instructions. Following the notches, 
baste the sleeves into position and try on the 
garment. If they set properly, they may then 
be stitched in by machine. 

If cuffs are provided for, they are made sep- 
arately, and slip-stitched to the sleeve over the 
wrist edge after the lining has been put in. (See 
page 54, Chapter X, " Children's Clothes.") 

The Belt has an interlining of canvas, stitched 
in at the same time with the row of machine- 
stitching that finishes it three-eighths of an inch 
around the edge. The lining is then added by 
hand. Two buttonholes are made, two inches 
apart, at the round end of the belt, and two 
corresponding buttons are sewed on the straight 
end. An opening through which the belt is run 
is allowed under each box plait in the jacket. 

The Buttonholes are made with eyelets as 
described and illustrated in Chapter II. 

The Lining for the jacket is the next con- 
sideration. Cut the back by the pattern for 
the jacket, allowing a half-inch plait down the 
center, which keeps the lining from drawing 
the outside cloth out of shape. Baste this little 
plait down. Now secure the lining back into 
position on the inside of the jacket. Baste the 
raw edges at the side seams over the corresponding seams of the cloth, but do not 
have the bastings show through to the right side of the jacket. Do the same at the 
shoulder seams. At the neck edge clip the curve enough to make the lining lie smoothly; 
slip the raw edge under the 
collar and baste the latter 
down over it. 

Each lining front is cut 
in one piece, with a dart- 
like plait allowed at the 
shoulder which graduates to 
nothing five inches below it. 
Baste each piece into posi- 
tion in the jacket. The raw 

edge at the side seam is turned in and hemmed down by hand, covering the raw edge ot 
the back piece. It mjy be necessary to clip the edges slightly to prevent any possible 
drawing at the seamy. 

The raw edges down the front are, likewise, turned in and stitched down over the 
cloth facing by hand. At the shoulder, the seam of the back lining laps over the raw 
edge of the front piece. The top collar piece is then stitched down by hand. 

The sleeve lining is cut by the sleeve pattern, the seams stitched and pressed open. 
Slip it into the jacket sleeve with corresponding seams together. At the wrist edge 




Fig. 323. Inside View of Jacket Front, 
Before Lining is Added 




Fig. 324. Showing Padding 5titch and Machine Stitching 
on the Collar 



BOYS' SUITS 133 

turn in the lining and hem it to the cloth sleeve by hand. Hold the lining in place by 
running a basting thread around the sleeve about four inches from the upper edge. 
Lastly, turn under the upper edge of the lining, baste it down over the raw edges of the 
armhole and sew down by hand. 

The lower edge of the jacket may now be closed in the same way; all basting threads 
that show are pulled out, and the jacket is given a final pressing wherever necessary. 

Boys' suits should always be made of strong, durable materials of as good a quality 
as one can afford, for they get very hard usage, and a poor cloth will not only wear out 
quickly, but is also likely to stretch and lose its shape. For cold weather heavy serges 
and cheviots are about the best materials one can get. For the spring use lighter 
weight serges for every-day suits, and tweeds and homespuns for better wear. These 
last materials are extremely smart-looking, but they are loosely woven and are not 
practical for school suits. They are generally used in the light shades of gray and tan. 
In summer weather heavy linen crash is an excellent material for ordinary wear. The 
lighter linens on the order of a good-quality French linen are very nice for better suits. 



CHAPTER XXIV 

REMODELING 

ONE ought, at the very beginning of each season, to set to work to take a critical 
survey of last year's wardrobe. It is the easiest way to find out exactly what new 
clothes are needed and exactly how far one can go with the old ones. Coats, suits 
and dresses that are still in sound physical condition, but which have grown out 
of style, should be remade. The remodeling of a pair of sleeves, the recutting of a 
skirt, will almost always give a new lease of life to a suit, while there are dozens of clever 
little ways by which one can completely obliterate the date of vintage of a gown. 

Decide first what clothes are worth remaking. When the materials are badly worn 
it is hardly worth while going to any amount of trouble in the way of renovations. But 
when the material is sound and whole it is little short of criminal not to take advantage 
of its possibilities. 

If one feels inclined to take a little trouble — and with a good dye there is practically no 
trouble at all — one can completely disguise a last year's suit or dress by changing it 
to another color. 

DYLING is a very simple thing, but there are certain hard and fast rules in regard to 
it that must not be disregarded. In the first place you can not dye a silk or wool material 
with a dye intended for cotton and linen. Neither can you dye cotton and linen with a 
silk and wool dye. In the second place, you can't change dark colors into lighter ones. 
In the third place, the material must be prepared carefully for the dyeing. If there are any 
grease spots or stains they should be removed as thoroughly as possible. (Chapter XXV.) 

Afterward the material should be washed for two reasons. The first is, that if the 
material is put into the dye soiled, the dirt will mingle with the dye and the result will 
be muddy instead of bright and clear. The second is that as much of the old dye should 
be taken out or "discharged," as it is called, as possible. Otherwise it will be impos- 
sible to predict how the mixture of the two dyes will turn out. 

Cottons and silks can be washed in soap and boiling water, but it is not safe to use 
soap to any great extent on wool materials, as it softens the wool. Boil the materials 
about half an hour, changing the water as it becomes discolored. Keep up the washing 
until the water remains clear — a sure sign that all the dye has been discharged that is 
likely to do any harm. 

It is best to dye the material while it is still wet from the washing as it absorbs the 
dye more readily and more evenly in that condition. Be sure to follow the directions 
given with the dye you use. A good reliable dye compound will be accompanied by 
explicit directions, which you must take care to follow. You must be especially careful 
in picking out a dye that will suit your material. White, of course, can be dyed any 
color. Pale shades can be dyed darker or changed into other slightly deeper colors. 
A material of one color dyed with a dye of a second color will emerge from the fray an 
entirely different shade from either. For instance, if you dye a yellow material with a 
light blue dye ; you will get green; while the same light blue over light red makes purple, 
and over light green makes peacock. A dark blue dye over brown makes navy blue, and 
over yellow, bottle green. A brown over blue makes dark brown; over green makes 
olive brown; over red makes seal brown. There are dozens and dozens of combinations 
and variations of colors that one can bring out by a clever combination of dye and 
material. One should go back to the old safeguard of experimenting first and doing the 
actual business afterward. 

After you've dyed your material, take it out of the dyeing fluid and hang it up until 
it is nearly dry. Then rinse it out in clear water to prevent its crocking. If a material 

134 



REMODELING 135 

has been dyed black, do not rinse until it has dried thoroughly. It will leave it a better 
color. If you do not dye your material, clean it carefully. Directions for removing spots, 
stains, etc., are given in Chapter XXV, "Care of the Clothes." 

IN MAKING OVER A WAIST it is sometimes necessary to use new material; but 
when chemisettes, yokes and half-sleeves are in fashion, you can use net, lace, chiffon, etc. 
In remodeling a waist or dress, put it on a bust form and stuff out the sleeves with 
tissue-paper. Look it over to see where it requires alteration. Sleeves and skirts fre- 
quently need to be recut. If piecing is necessary, make the seams fall in places where 
they will not show or where they can be covered with trimming. 

If the dress is to be entirely remodeled, rip it apart with a sharp knife or pointed scis- 
sors. Do not stretch the material, especially at the neck and armholes. Brush the seams 
carefully, and remove all clipped threads. If the material has changed color, use it on 
the reverse side if possible, even if the weave is slightly different- 
After the material has been thoroughly freshened — washed, pressed or dyed — lay it 
out on the new pattern and see if it requires piecing. If necessary, piece the lining so 
that it will set comfortably. It should be easy across the bust and shoulders, and snug, 
but not tight, over the waist and hips. In piecing, cut the patches on the same grain of 
the material as the original garment. Never piece at the neck or armhole with a bias 
or straight piece of material. Lay the new fabric on the old, following the grain of the 
latter. Hem the piece down neatly, and cut the garment over by the new pattern. 

Put the Lining on, and then drape the outside over it after you have cut it according 
to your pattern. By using fancy trimming-pieces, collars, yokes, plastrons, etc., you 
can almost always remodel a waist so that the piecing will never show. Lace or net for 
yokes, chemisettes, etc., can be dyed the color of the dress either at home or at a regular 
dyeing establishment. Lace can be dipped in tea to give it a rich cream color that can 
be made lighter or darker according to the strength of the tea. 

REMODELING A SKIRT is an easy matter if the new pattern is narrower than the 
old skirt. In that case it is only a question of recutting; but if the pattern calls for 
more material than you have in the skirt itself, you will have to do some piecing. Braided 
bands covering the skirt seams are an excellent way of increasing the width of a skirt. 
Or you can raise the skirt at the waistline, refit it, and add to it at the bottom by a band 
or a fold. Or it may be pieced at the bottom and the line of piecing covered by wide 
braid, bias bands, etc. 

Linen or Pique Shirts can often be lengthened by bands of embroidery insertion or by 
bias bands of the material. These skirts are very apt to shrink around the hips. They 
should be ripped from their belts, raised and refitted. They will have to be lengthened. 

Coats should be remodeled by an up-to-date pattern. If they require piecing, try to 
let it come at a seam and cover it with a stitched or braided band. Quite frequently it 
is easier to cut a coat suit down for one of the daughters of the house than to remodel 
it for the mother. But do not use a material that is old and somber for a child, without 
relieving it by a trimming that is bright and youthful-looking. A black-and-white pin- 
checked wool or a dark serge is apt to make a dull frock for a little girl, but if it is trimmed 
with bands of contrasting material in a suitable color it becomes childish-looking and 
pretty. 

In making over half-worn garments into presentable and at the same time durable 
clothes for boys, such as suits, reefers, and overcoats, a tailored finish is the first require- 
ment. It means neat work, even stitching and careful pressing. For the pressing you 
will need heavy irons, evenly heated, and a piece of unbleached muslin that can be 
dampened and laid over your work. 

In ripping apart the old coat or suit that is to be remodeled for your little son, notice 
carefully all the small devices of interlining, canvas and stitching that the tailor used 
in making the garment. You can repeat many of them in your own work. If you use 
the old canvas and find that it has grown limp, you can restiffen it by dampening it 
thoroughly and ironing it with a heavy iron thoroughly heated. Full directions for 
making boys' trousers are given in Chapter XXIII, "Boys' Suits," and Chapter XX. 
"Pockets." Chapter XXII, on "Coats and Jackets," will give you all the necessary 
information you will want for finishing the jackets or overcoats. 




CHAPTER XXV 

CARL OF THE CLOTHES 

GOOD PRESSING is a very important part of dressmaking and tailoring. Special 
boards and tailor's cushions may be made at home or bought from any dress- 
makers' supply house. (Chapter XII, page 61.) 

In opening seams, dampen the seam, if the material will permit it, and press 
slowly, bearing down heavily on the iron. Very little dampness should be used on cash- 
mere, as it flattens the twill and spoils the texture. Little or no dampness should be 
used on silk. A cloth, well wrung out of water, may be used on these materials, and 
their seams may be dampened slightly. Seams should be pressed over the curved edge 
of an ironing-board so that the seam edges will not be marked on the garment. 

Velvet must not be pressed, but should be steamed so as not to injure the nap. 

To steam velvet, heat an iron and place it face up between two cold irons arranged so 
as to hold the hot iron firmly. (Fig. 325.) Lay a damp piece of muslin over the face of 
the iron and draw the velvet over the muslin. The steam will have the effect of pressing 
the velvet without hurting the pile. Seams can be opened in this way, and this method 
can be used on velvet, plush, wool velvet, 
materials with a high nap, satin and silk. 

Velvet may be mirrored or panned by pass- 
ing an iron over the surface of the velvet, 
ironing with the nap. After velvet has gone 
through this process it can be pressed as much 
as is necessary. If the iron can be held with 

the flat surface upward by a milliner's steam- 

, i-T.ii. c ■ t. i_i rig. 325. The Proper Way to Open Seams 

ing-box or a tin box, the seams ot perishable j n a Velvet Coat 

materials can be pressed open by running the 

seam over the surface of the iron. 

Nearly all pressing is done on the wrong side. Suitings and heavy cloth may be pressed 
on the right side by steaming. Wring out a cloth as dry as possible and keep it over the 
place to be pressed. Have the irons hot and press firmly until the cloth is nearly dry. 
Turn the garment to the wrong side and press until thoroughly dry. 

The shine which sometimes comes in pressing may be removed by placing a dry cloth 
over the shiny place. Then wring out as dry as possible a second cloth which has been 
thoroughly wet. Place it over the dry one, and with a hot iron pass lightly over the spot. 
If the material has a nap requiring raising, the place may be brushed with a stiff brush and 
the process of steaming repeated. 

Many fabrics retain the imprint of the basting-thread under heavy pressing. For 
such material it is necessary to give a light pressing first, removing all basting-threads 
before the final pressing. 

ALL CLOTHES should be taken care of as systematically as possible, as their period 
of usefulness depends entirely on the way they are treated. Lingerie and washable 
waists and dresses should be mended before they go to the laundry. A small hole will 
become a large one in washing, and not only is the work of mending doubled, but the 
injury to the garment is frequently irreparable. 

Woolen clothes — dresses, suits, coats, skirts, etc., should be brushed regularly and 
watched closely for such small matters as loose buttons, frayed skirt-braids, missing 
hooks and eyes, and soiled chemisettes or yokes. Coats should never be left lying care- 
lessly over chairs, and should never be hung up by the collar or armhole. They should 
be kept on hangers when they are not in use so that their necks and shoulders will not 
lose their shape. 

Dresses and waists should also be kept on hangers, and if they are made of light, per- 
ishable materials they should be slipped into great bags of silkoline to keep them from 

136 



CARE. OF THE CLOTHES 137 

the dust. The bag should be as long as the waist or dress. If one has plenty of closet 
room, it is much better to keep one's evening dresses hanging up in bags than to lay them 
in chests or drawers where they can not fail to become badly wrinkled. 

Skirts should not be kept on wooden hangers, as they are likely to become stretched 
at the hips. Small strips of braid or ribbon should be sewed inside the waistband of 
each skirt — one on each side, and an equal distance apart. The skirt should be hung 
by these hangers on two hooks placed just far enough apart to keep the belt taut. 

Winter clothes should be brushed and cleaned and then put away during the summer 
months with plenty of gum camphor, moth-balls or some other safe moth-preventive. 
Summer clothes should be put away clean and packed as carefully as possible, so that 
they will not need pressing when they are wanted again. Sheets of blue tissue-paper 
can be put between the folds of white dresses to prevent them from turning yellow. 

CLEANING can frequently be done at home with very little trouble and expense. 

TO CLEAN WOOLEN GOODS, the simplest method is washing in warm water and 
soapbark. Get ten cents' worth of soapbark and pour over it two quarts of boiling 
water. Let it stand until the strength is taken from the bark, strain, and pour into a tub 
of lukewarm water. Let the goods stand for half an hour in the suds, then rub well and 
rinse in another water of the same temperature to keep the goods from shrinking. Press 
on the wrong side before it is thoroughly dry. Experiment first with a small piece of 
the material to be sure that it does not change color or shrink badly. 

FOR SILKS, mix six ounces of strained honey and four ounces of a pure soap with 
one pint of pure alcohol. 

Lay each piece of silk flat on a table or marble, and with a brush cover the silk with the 
mixture, first on one side and then on the other. Brush the silk as little as possible and 
always straight up and down. Dip the silk in several tepid rinsing-waters, the last one 
mixed with a little honey. Do not wring the silk, but hang it up, and when half-dry iron 
with a cool iron on the wrong side. 

A French method of cleaning black silk is to sponge the silk on both sides with spirits of 
wine, and then iron on the wrong side with a piece of muslin between the silk and the iron. 

Ribbons may be cleansed in the same way and rolled smoothly over a bottle or round 
stick to dry. 

VELVET is cleaned by steaming. First brush the velvet thoroughly with either a soft 
or stiff brush until all dust and lint are removed. It is better to use a soft brush if the 
velvet is not too dirty. 

If a milliner's steaming-box is at hand, invert a hot iron in the box and cover the face 
of the iron with a good-sized piece of muslin which has been thoroughly wet. This 
produces steam, and the muslin must be moved along as it dries. The velvet is held with 
its wrong side against the muslin and brushed carefully with a soft brush until the pile of 
the velvet is raised. Always brush against the nap. The pile may also be raised by 
holding the velvet tightly over a pan of boiling water. 

FOR BLACK LACES, an old-fashioned cleaning mixture is made by boiling an old 
black kid glove in a pint of water until half the water has evaporated. Strain, and, if 
necessary, add a little cold water. After brushing the lace, dip it up and down in the 
liquid. Then roll it over a bottle, or pin smoothly over a covered board to dry. 

WHITE LACE may be washed in a suds of pure soap, then thoroughly rinsed and 
pinned over a covered board to dry. Some laces will stand ironing on the wrong side. 
Let the lace partially dry, and iron over several thicknesses of flannel. 

GREASE-SPOTS on woolen or silk are best removed by naphtha, gasoline, ether or 
chloroform. These solvents are highly inflammable, and must, therefore, never be used 
near a light or flame. In applying any of them to grease-stains, place a piece of cloth or 
blotting-paper underneath the stain to absorb the excess liquid. Rub the spot from 
the outside toward the center until dry, so that the liquid will not leave a ring. Ether and 
chloroform are less liable to leave a ring than gasoline or naphtha. 



138 THE DRESSMAKER 

A good mixture for removing grease-spots is made from equal parts of alcohol, benzine 
and ether. Powdered French chalk or fullers' earth may be used by placing the powder 
over the stain and holding over a heated iron. The heat will dissolve the grease, and the 
powder will absorb it. 

MACHINE-OIL STAINS may be removed in the following manner: Moisten borax 
and rub it on the stain from the outside toward the center, taking care not to spread it. 
Pour water through the material. Washing with cold water and a pure soap will remove 
most stains of machine-oil. 

BLOOD-STAINS may be taken out by washing with soap and tepid water. They 
may also be removed by covering the spot with wet laundry starch and allowing it to 
stand. Afterward it should be washed. 

ON INK-SPOTS, if still moist, rub either salt, meal, flour or sugar, and wash in cold 
water. Or, lemon-juice may be put over the spot and covered with salt. Then place 
the article in the sun for a while, and wash. The process may be repeated, if necessary, 
until the ink-spot is entirely removed. 

Another method for removing ink-stains is to let the material soak in javelle water, 
made from one-half pound of sal soda, two ounces chlorid of lime and one quart of water. 
After soaking a few minutes, wash in clear water. 

IRON-RUST is removed by the same mediums as ink. 

MILDEW is the hardest of all stains to remove, and can not always be taken out suc- 
cessfully. Any of the mediums used for ink and iron-rust may be tried. For silk only, 
dip a flannel in alcohol and rub briskly, first on one side and then on the other. 

PAINT, when fresh, can be softened with vaseline and washed off with benzine. Or, 
it may be rubbed with equal parts of turpentine and alcohol. If a grease-spot remains, 
remove it with benzine. Turpentine mixed with a little ammonia is also good. Wash 
off with soap-suds or benzine. 



401 90 













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HECKMAN 
BINDERY INC. |B 

^H, OCT 90 

W=J# N. MANCHESTER, 
^S* 7 INDIANA 46962 



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